Niger's Minister of Communication, Mahamadou Zada, has been cited in a case of embezzlement of three billion CFA francs (more than 4.5 million euros) when he was running a public company between 2013 and 2021. For his alleged involvement, he was jailed last Tuesday.

Mahamadou Zada, appointed minister in April 2021 by President Mohamed Bazoum, was "interviewed by a judge at the economic and financial division of Niamey" who ordered "his incarceration in Kollo," a town located about 50 km south of the capital, according to this source. The embezzlement of public funds would have been committed when Mahamadou Zada was at the head of the Société de patrimoine des mines du Niger (Sopamin) between 2013 and 2021, it added. This company manages the Nigerien state's holdings in mining companies operating in the country, including uranium.