A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday convicted former Nigerian Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, on all 12 counts of fraud and money laundering preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in a case involving the diversion of ₦33.8 billion in public funds meant for two major hydroelectric power projects.
Justice James Omotosho delivered the judgment in the absence of the convict, finding that the prosecution had established its case beyond reasonable doubt. The court adjourned sentencing to May 13, 2026, and the EFCC immediately applied for a bench warrant to ensure Mamman is produced in court and cannot flee the country.
Mamman served as Minister of Power under former President Muhammadu Buhari from August 2019 to September 2021, when he was removed during a cabinet reshuffle. The EFCC arraigned him in July 2024 on charges centred on the alleged conspiracy with ministry officials and private companies to siphon funds allocated for the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Plant projects.
The court found that Mamman made a cash payment of $655,700, equivalent to ₦200 million, for landed property in Abuja without routing the transaction through any financial institution. It also noted that most of the funds were siphoned through Bureau de Change operators (BDCs) who converted the money into foreign currencies before handing it over to the defendant.
Justice Omotosho was scathing in his remarks, lamenting that a minister entrusted with fixing Nigeria’s chronic electricity crisis chose personal enrichment over public service. “The evidence of the prosecution is overwhelming as against the scanty and almost absent defence of the defendant,” the judge held.
Mamman’s lawyer, Mohammed Ahmed, told the court that his client’s whereabouts had been unknown since the previous Tuesday when notice of the judgment was issued, and that his personal assistant had suggested he was ill. When Justice Omotosho demanded a medical report to support the claim, the defence admitted that none was available. The court rejected the bid to adjourn, pointing to news reports showing Mamman had recently purchased a governorship nomination form under the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest the Taraba State governorship election.
The EFCC produced 17 witnesses and tendered 43 exhibits during the trial. The agency alleged that at least ₦22 billion of the diverted funds were channelled into the acquisition of high-value assets within and outside Nigeria.
