THE Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted a former minister of power, Saleh Mamman, on a 12-count charge bordering on money laundering involving ₦33.8 billion.
Mamman served as minister of power between 2019 and 2021 and was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in May 2021 shortly after he left office.
A statement by the commission on Thursday, May 7, stated that the presiding judge, James Omotosho, found Mamman guilty of offences bothering on alleged diversion and laundering of funds linked to major power infrastructure projects, including the Mambilla and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant projects.
It noted that the court, however, deferred sentencing until May 13, 2026, after noting that the former minister was not physically present in court at the time of judgment.
During the trial, counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo applied for a bench warrant for Mamman’s arrest to ensure he is produced in court for sentencing to prevent what it described as a possible flight risk ahead of sentencing.
The conviction comes amid months of proceedings marked by repeated delays and procedural disputes. Just weeks earlier, on April 16, 2026, proceedings were stalled when Mamman failed to file his final written address before the court.
At the sitting, scheduled for adoption of final written addresses, Mamman’s counsel, Femi Atteh, a senior advocate, informed the court that although the defence had received the prosecution’s final written address, they had filed a motion on April 1 seeking an extension of time to respond.
Background
The ICIR reports that Mamman was initially arraigned by the EFCC on July 11, 2024, on charges of conspiracy and money laundering involving ₦33,804,830,503.73.
The prosecution alleged that while serving as power minister, he conspired with ministry officials and private companies to indirectly convert funds believed to be proceeds of unlawful activity.
The EFCC also accused him of making a cash payment of $655,700 without going through a financial institution, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.
At the time of arraignment, Mamman pleaded not guilty to all charges, leading to a full trial. Proceedings had earlier been marked by drama, including a reported collapse of the defendant within the court premises, which briefly stalled proceedings and led to adjournments.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M