KEY POINTS

• EFCC has arrested Energy Commission DG, Mustapha Abdullahi, over alleged money laundering offences.
• The anti-graft agency claims the investigation involves an estimated N500 billion.
• Abdullahi, appointed by President Bola Tinubu in 2023, is currently being held in EFCC custody pending further investigations.

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 offences involving an estimated N500 billion.

According to sources within the anti-corruption agency, Abdullahi was apprehended in Abuja and is currently being held in EFCC custody as investigations continue into the alleged financial misconduct.

A senior official within the commission, who spoke anonymously because he was not authorised to comment publicly on the matter, disclosed that the investigation centres on massive financial transactions believed to involve public funds.

The source said the anti-graft agency had been monitoring activities linked to the alleged fraud before moving in to arrest the Energy Commission boss.

“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 N500bn,” the source revealed.

EFCC yet to issue official statement

As of the time this report was filed, the spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, had not officially confirmed the arrest.

Several attempts to reach Oyewale for comments proved unsuccessful, leaving many details surrounding the case unclear.

The commission is yet to release an official statement outlining the specific allegations, the period during which the alleged offences were committed, or whether additional suspects are connected to the probe.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Abdullahi as Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria on October 24, 2023, as part of efforts to strengthen the nation’s energy development and policy implementation.

The Energy Commission of Nigeria is responsible for coordinating national energy policies, strategic planning, and research aimed at improving energy sustainability and development across the country.

The arrest of the agency’s chief executive has triggered reactions across political and governance circles, especially given the scale of the alleged fraud being investigated.

More details are expected to emerge as the EFCC continues its investigation into the matter