Nigeria arrests former minister in hiding after corruption conviction
Nigerian authorities have arrested a former minister who had been in hiding since being convicted of corruption. The capture is being seen as a significant step in the country's renewed anti-graft campaign, after years of stalled high-profile prosecutions.
Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the EFCC, said a former cabinet member convicted of misappropriating public funds and reported to have been in hiding for months had been arrested. The former minister's name and post are listed in official documents, but prosecutors declined to provide further detail because of an ongoing investigation.
The court had previously sentenced the accused to seven years in prison, but an international arrest warrant was issued after he failed to attend a hearing. EFCC officials said the arrest followed a tip-off and that the suspect had been brought back to the capital, Abuja.
The Nigerian government in recent months has reopened a string of high-profile cases related to the use of public funds. The EFCC said the arrest strengthens confidence that judicial rulings in corruption files can actually be enforced, an issue that has long undermined prosecutions in the country.
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