Mr Abdullahi was arrested in Abuja and is currently in the custody of the anti-graft agency.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), Mustapha Abdullahi, over alleged money laundering and fraud involving about N500 billion.
An EFCC source told Punch Newspaper that the investigation involves alleged financial misconduct linked to funds estimated at N500 billion.
“We have arrested the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, over alleged money laundering offences. He is currently in our custody, and investigations are ongoing,” the source explained.
The official added that the amount involved in the investigation is estimated at about N500 billion.
This newspaper could not get an official response from the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, at the time of filing this report.
The Energy Commission of Nigeria also did not issue any statement on the development before this report was filed.
President Bola Tinubu appointed Mr Abdullahi as Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Energy Commission of Nigeria in October 2023.
Before his appointment, Mr Abdullahi worked with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and also served as a technical adviser in the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.
The Energy Commission of Nigeria is the federal agency responsible for coordinating national energy planning and promoting the development of renewable and sustainable energy policies in the country.
The arrest comes amid renewed anti-corruption investigations involving senior government officials in the power and energy sector.
On Tuesday, the Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, to 75 years’ imprisonment over corruption-related offences linked to the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
