Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, to 75 years in prison.
Mamman, who served as Minister of Power between 2019 and 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, was convicted in absentia on all 12 counts brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The sentences comprise seven years each on 10 counts, three years on one count with an option of ₦10 million fine, and two years on another, ordered to run consecutively..
Mamman was absent from both the conviction delivered on May 7, 2026 and the sentencing today.
His counsel Mohammed Ahmed told the court that he could not a certain the whereabouts of his client, and that every attempt to reach him by phone has proved abortive.
A separate FCT High Court recently revoked his bail in a related matter and issued a bench warrant.
Justice Omotosho explicitly ruled that the prison term will commence from the day of his arrest.
The judge ordered all national and international security agencies, including Interpol, to arrest Mamman wherever he is found and hand him over to the Nigerian Correctional Service to begin serving his sentence.
The court heard how funds earmarked for the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydroelectric Power projects were allegedly diverted.
Prosecution evidence showed that a portion of the money running into over ₦22 billion in some accounts—was funnelled through Bureau de Change (BDC) operators, who converted the naira into foreign currencies and handed them over based on instructions linked to the former minister and his associates.
Justice Omotosho reportedly rebuked the former minister, linking his actions to Nigeria’s persistent electricity challenges, stating that such diversion of public funds contributed to keeping citizens in darkness while he allegedly lived large.
Background of case
The trial, which began in 2024, was a drama. At the arraignment stage, Mamman collapsed outside the courtroom due to ill health before his plea could be taken.
He was resuscitated by court medical personnel and later entered the dock with part of his clothes drenched.
This incident caused a brief delay in proceedings.
Beyond the jail term, the court ordered the repayment of diverted funds and the forfeiture of assets linked to the fraud, including properties allegedly purchased with proceeds of the crime.
The court also ordered the repayment of diverted funds and the forfeiture of assets traced to the alleged fraud.
Administrator and Writer
