Agency Official Said to Be Held by Anti-Graft Body Over Unclear Fiscal Misconduct.

Individuals connected to a state financial watchdog have reportedly taken into custody the head of a national energy body, over matters touching on illicit money movements.

According to unconfirmed accounts from those familiar with the situation but not permitted to speak openly, the official in question—identified as the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Mustapha Abdullahi—was picked up in the capital and has since remained under the authority of the commission.

Efforts to verify the situation with the agency’s public spokesperson proved inconclusive, as calls went unanswered and messages sent through digital platforms received no response at the time of reporting.

The official was appointed to his current position by the national leader in late October of the previous year, as part of a broader push to advance the country’s shift toward alternative energy sources.

Described as a specialist in mechanical systems and energy matters, the official traces his origins to one local government area in a central state, though he was born in a northern state in early 1985. Prior to his current role, he served as a senior adviser and chief aide to a cabinet minister overseeing innovation and science.

His academic background includes studies in mechanical engineering at a university in the north, followed by advanced degrees from institutions abroad, with doctoral research focused on renewable energy and monitoring techniques for oil and gas infrastructure. He later remained at the same foreign university for further postdoctoral work.