The anti-graft agency also arrested two persons accused of sheltering the former minister while he was allegedly evading arrest.
Mamman was recently convicted on 12 counts bordering on money laundering and fraud involving N33.8bn linked to the Mambilla and Zungeru hydropower projects.
Sources within the commission disclosed that EFCC operatives launched a manhunt for the former minister immediately after a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced him to 75 years imprisonment in absentia last week.
According to the sources, investigators eventually traced him through his mobile phone and located him in an apartment in the Rigasa area of Kaduna State.
One of the sources said, “Immediately after the judgment, we intensified efforts to locate him following weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering. We eventually tracked him through his phone and found him in an apartment in Rigasa, Kaduna. Two persons suspected to have harboured him were also arrested.”
The EFCC had earlier confirmed the arrest during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.
The Chairman of the commission, Ola Olukoyede, disclosed that Mamman was arrested at about 3:30am in Kaduna.
Olukoyede described the arrest as proof of the Federal Government’s commitment to the anti-corruption war.
“About 14 to 15 months after the commencement of the trial, we secured conviction on all 12 counts. Because the defendant was absent, sentencing was shifted until May 13, when he was sentenced in absentia,” he said.
“Following the judgment, we activated our intelligence and surveillance operations and began searching for him across the country. I am happy to announce that at about 3:30am on Tuesday, we arrested him in Kaduna.”
The EFCC chairman added that no individual involved in the diversion of public resources would escape justice.
“The eagle eye of the EFCC will always catch up with anyone hiding from justice. Nigerians should be assured that we remain committed to carrying out our mandate without fear or favour,” he stated.
Responding to questions on why the former minister remained in EFCC custody instead of a correctional facility, Olukoyede explained that the process of transferring him to the appropriate custodial centre was ongoing.
He also revealed that investigations into the two suspects arrested alongside Mamman had commenced.
“We discovered that he was being protected during the period he was on the run. The two Nigerians arrested with him are currently under investigation,” he added.
Also speaking, the Director of Public Prosecution, Rotimi Oyedepo, said the court had directed security agencies to ensure the convict had no hiding place and ordered his transfer to a correctional facility after conviction.
Oyedepo noted that the operation reflected improved collaboration among security agencies in enforcing court judgments.
Olukoyede further disclosed that the commission would review its monitoring procedures for high-profile suspects standing trial in order to prevent future attempts to evade justice.
“For every high-profile corruption case, defendants may need to be placed under closer surveillance. It is not in the interest of the country for anyone undergoing criminal prosecution to escape from jurisdiction,” he said.
The EFCC boss also stated that the commission had expanded investigations into additional properties allegedly linked to the former minister, adding that fresh assets had already been uncovered.
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