Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, to a total of 75 years imprisonment over a ₦33.8 billion fraud linked to the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydroelectric Power projects.
The court found Mamman guilty on a 12-count charge bordering on conspiracy and money laundering filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Omotosho ruled that the former minister deliberately absented himself from court in an attempt to frustrate the judicial process. Despite his absence, the judge held that the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, empowered the court to proceed with sentencing.
The judge sentenced Mamman to seven years imprisonment each on Counts 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 without an option of fine. He was also handed a three-year jail term on Count 4 with an option of a ₦10 million fine, and two years imprisonment on Count 5 without an option of fine.
Justice Omotosho ordered that all the sentences run consecutively, bringing the total jail term to 75 years. The sentence will take effect from the day Mamman is arrested.
The court further directed all security agencies, including INTERPOL, to arrest the former minister wherever he is found and hand him over to the Nigerian Correctional Service.
In addition, the court ordered the final forfeiture of two properties belonging to Mamman in highbrow areas of Abuja, alongside various sums of money recovered from him in different currencies.
The judge also ordered the former minister to refund the outstanding balance between the recovered assets and the ₦22 billion the prosecution successfully proved was diverted from the power projects during the trial.
Justice Omotosho stated that the EFCC proved beyond reasonable doubt that Mamman and his associates siphoned public funds meant for critical electricity projects.
According to the judge, witnesses presented by the anti-graft agency explained how funds budgeted for the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydroelectric Power projects were diverted on the instructions of the former minister.
“The sheer greed of the defendant and his associates is shameful,” the judge said, adding that Mamman chose personal enrichment instead of addressing Nigeria’s persistent electricity challenges.
The court noted that the former minister “lived large at the expense of ordinary Nigerians,” stressing that corruption in the power sector has contributed significantly to the country’s prolonged electricity problems.
The EFCC had arraigned Mamman in July 2024 over allegations that he conspired with ministry officials and private companies to divert ₦33.8 billion meant for the hydroelectric projects.
Although Mamman pleaded not guilty, the prosecution presented 17 witnesses and tendered 43 exhibits during the trial. The former minister did not call any witness in his defence and instead filed a no-case submission, which the court dismissed in December 2025.
Mamman served as Minister of Power under former President Muhammadu Buhari from August 2019 until his removal from office in September 2021.
