A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, to 75 years imprisonment over a N33.8 billion fraud case linked to the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric power projects.
Justice James Omotosho delivered the judgment on Wednesday after finding the former minister guilty on all 12 counts filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The anti-graft agency had accused Mamman of conspiring with ministry officials and private firms to divert and launder funds meant for critical power projects across the country.
The court sentenced the former minister to seven years imprisonment on 10 counts, while he received three years and two years respectively on counts four and five.
Justice Omotosho ruled that the sentences would run consecutively without the option of fine, except for count four, where the convict was given an option of N10 million fine.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of several foreign currencies recovered from the former minister, alongside four high-value properties in Abuja traced to him.
Mamman was arraigned by the EFCC in July 2024 on a 12-count charge bordering on money laundering and conspiracy involving N33.8 billion allegedly siphoned from funds earmarked for the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric projects. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
During the trial, the EFCC presented 17 witnesses and tendered 43 exhibits before the court.
Justice Omotosho had earlier convicted Mamman in absentia on May 7 after ruling that the prosecution successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. The court subsequently issued a warrant for his arrest.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, Mamman’s counsel, Mohammed Ahmed, told the court that he did not know the whereabouts of his client, adding that repeated attempts to reach him through his phone lines failed.
Following the sentencing, the judge directed all security agencies to work with Interpol to ensure the arrest of the former minister, noting that the jail term would begin from the date of his arrest.
Credit: Leadership