ABUJA, NIGERIA — Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), over his alleged involvement in a massive ₦500 billion money laundering and financial fraud scheme.
The high-profile arrest was executed in Abuja on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, plunging the federal energy regulatory agency into an immediate transparency crisis.
The Details of the Arrest
Senior officials within the anti-graft agency confirmed that Abdullahi was picked up by operatives following intelligence tracking complex financial transactions linked to the agency’s accounts. He was transported to the EFCC national headquarters in Abuja, where investigators began grilling him regarding the siphoned multi-billion naira funds.
The DG is currently being detained in EFCC custody for further interrogation. While the agency’s investigators continue to trace the exact destinations of the laundered capital, the commission’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, has not yet issued a formal public statement detailing the specific charges.
Context of the Investigation
Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, a chartered mechanical engineer, was appointed to lead the Energy Commission of Nigeria by President Bola Tinubu on October 24, 2023. Prior to stepping into the role as the agency’s third Director-General, he operated within the presidency as the Senior Technical Adviser to the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Uche Nnaji.
The ₦500 billion multi-layered tracking operation has intensified institutional pressure on federal power administrators. The development closely follows the landmark conviction of former Minister of Power Saleh Mamman, who was sentenced to 75 years in prison by a Federal High Court for a separate ₦33.8 billion hydro-project contract fraud.
