Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, over alleged money laundering and financial crimes involving more than ₦500 billion.
Abdullahi was reportedly arrested in Abuja on Wednesday and is currently being detained at the headquarters of the anti-graft agency as investigators examine financial transactions linked to the commission under his leadership. Multiple media reports quoted sources within the EFCC as confirming the arrest, although the commission had not issued an official statement.
A senior EFCC source, who spoke anonymously because he was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter, said the investigation centres on alleged money laundering offences and suspected diversion of public funds.
“We have arrested the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, for money laundering offences. He was arrested and is currently in our custody. The money is to the tune of ₦500bn,” the source was quoted as saying.
Sources familiar with the investigation said EFCC operatives are scrutinising financial records, contracts and transactions connected to the operations of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, as part of what insiders described as a broader probe into alleged irregularities within the agency.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Abdullahi as the third Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Energy Commission of Nigeria on October 24, 2023. Before his appointment, he served as Senior Technical Adviser to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji.
Abdullahi, a chartered mechanical engineer and member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, had also previously worked with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), according to reports.
The arrest comes amid intensified anti-corruption operations by the EFCC targeting senior public officials and government agencies over allegations of financial mismanagement, fraud and abuse of office.
The development also follows Wednesday’s conviction of former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, who was sentenced by a Federal High Court in Abuja to 75 years imprisonment after being found guilty of laundering ₦33.8 billion linked to hydroelectric power projects.
The back-to-back high-profile cases have further intensified scrutiny of Nigeria’s power and energy sector, where concerns over contract awards, project financing and accountability have persisted for years.
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