The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confirmed that the former Minister of State for Power, Olu Agunloye, is currently in its custody.

The disclosure is coming barely a week after the anti-graft agency had declared the former minister wanted on allegation of forgery and corruption.

According to an exclusive report from Channels, a source at the anti-graft agency had confirmed that Agunloye has been in EFCC custody since December 13, 2023.

The source said, “He has been with the EFCC since December 13th,” the source said. “But it was not made public.”

Recall that on December 13, 2023, the EFCC had declared Agunloye wanted over an alleged $6 billion fraud related to the controversial Mambilla hydropower project.

The EFCC had in a statement on its official X (formerly Twitter) account 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. Olu, 75, is from Akoko North Local Government Area, Ondo State. His last known address No 20 Sold Boney Way, Bodija, Ibadan.

“Anybody with useful information as to his whereabouts should please contact the Commission in its Benin, Kaduna, Ibadan, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Mardi, Ilorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Uyo, Port Harcourt, and Abuja offices or contact 08093322644 or email [email protected] or the nearest police station and any other security agencies.”

Agunloye was a minister under the administration of the them President, Olusegun Obasanjo, and has been at the centre of the controversy about the Mambilla project.

Obasanjo had accused him of fraudulently awarding the contract for the project without the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval.

However, Agunloye refuted the charges and asserted that the outgoing president was falsifying information.