The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) verified Olu Agunloye, former minister of state for electricity, has been in thier custody a few days after he was declared wanted.
Agunloye has been detained since December 13, 2023, according to a Channels Television source within the anti-graft bureau.
The source said:
“He has been with the EFCC since December 13th. But it was not made public.”
About a week ago, the EFCC proclaimed Agulonye wanted in connection with a $6 billion purported scam involving the contentious Mambilla hydropower project.
The agency said:
“The public is hereby notified that Olu Agunloye, whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in an alleged case of corruption and forgery.
“With useful information as to his whereabouts” to contact the agency. The EFCC had in September questioned the former minister over the same issue.
Agunloye was a minister under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government (1999-2003). He has been at the centre of the controversy about the Mambilla project.
He was accused by Obasanjo of illegally awarding the project’s contract without the Federal Executive Council’s (FEC) consent.
However, Agunloye refuted the charges and asserted that the outgoing president was falsifying information.