A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, to a total of 75 years imprisonment over a massive N33.8 billion fraud case linked to the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric power projects.
The judgment, delivered on Wednesday by Justice James Omotosho, followed the court’s decision to find the former minister guilty on all 12 counts brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
According to the anti-corruption agency, Mamman was accused of conspiring with officials within the Ministry of Power as well as private companies to illegally divert and launder public funds originally allocated for key electricity projects meant to improve Nigeria’s power supply infrastructure.
The court sentenced the former minister to seven years imprisonment on 10 separate counts, while additional sentences of three years and two years were handed down on counts four and five respectively.
Justice Omotosho ruled that the prison terms would run consecutively, meaning the sentences would be served one after another rather than simultaneously. The judge also stated that the convict would not have the option of paying fines instead of serving the jail terms, except for count four where a N10 million fine option was allowed.
As part of the judgment, the court further ordered the forfeiture of several foreign currencies recovered from the former minister during investigations. The judge also directed that four high-value properties located in Abuja and linked to Mamman be permanently confiscated by the Federal Government.
The case against the former minister dates back to July 2024 when the EFCC formally arraigned him before the court on a 12-count charge bordering on conspiracy, money laundering, and diversion of public funds connected to the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric power projects.
At the beginning of the trial, Mamman pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against him.
During the proceedings, the EFCC presented a total of 17 witnesses before the court and tendered 43 exhibits to support its allegations. The prosecution argued that funds meant for critical national power projects were unlawfully siphoned and laundered through various channels.
Justice Omotosho had earlier convicted the former minister in absentia on May 7 after ruling that the prosecution had successfully established its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Following that earlier ruling, the court issued a warrant for Mamman’s arrest after he failed to appear before the court.
At Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, Mamman’s lawyer, Mohammed Ahmed, informed the court that he could not confirm the whereabouts of his client. According to the defence counsel, repeated attempts to contact the former minister through his known telephone lines were unsuccessful.
Reacting to the situation, Justice Omotosho ordered security agencies across the country to collaborate with Interpol to track down and arrest the former minister.
The judge further clarified that Mamman’s prison sentence would officially begin from the day he is apprehended by law enforcement authorities.
The conviction has already generated widespread reactions across Nigeria, especially as the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric projects were originally designed as major infrastructure initiatives expected to improve electricity generation and reduce the country’s long-standing power challenges.
Analysts say the judgment represents one of the most significant corruption convictions involving a former cabinet member in recent years, particularly within Nigeria’s power sector, which has repeatedly faced allegations of financial mismanagement, abandoned projects, and failed reforms despite billions of naira invested over the years.
