The sentencing of former Power Minister Saleh Mamman to 75 years in prison has emerged as one of the most significant anti-corruption stories in the country recently. NATHANIEL SHAIBU explores the developments, legal challenges, and consequences of a case that has sparked renewed public anger regarding corruption within the nation’s struggling power industry.
OnOn May 13, 2026, the sentencing of former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, to a conviction and a 75-year prison term represented the peak of almost two years of inquiries, legal confrontations, administrative holdups, and unexpected developments.
The legal conflict turned the ex-cabinet member, who was once a minister, into a fugitive, now confronting one of the harshest penalties for corruption ever given to a public servant in recent times.
From his detention by members of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in 2024 until his sentencing by the Federal High Court in Abuja two years later, Mamman’s legal case revealed how billions of naira intended for essential energy initiatives were allegedly misappropriated via intermediaries, private firms, and foreign exchange bureaus.
The case also reignited public frustration regarding the long-standing issues in Nigeria’s power industry, an area that has absorbed significant public resources over many years despite millions of citizens still facing unreliable electricity supply.
Mamman, who was the Minister of Power during the tenure of late President Muhammadu Buhari from 2019 to 2021, initially attracted the attention of the EFCC after intelligence reports and financial investigations were connected to the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project and the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Project.
Authorities claimed that significant amounts allocated for the projects were illegally transferred from public funds to private entities.
The ex-minister was ultimately taken into custody and interrogated by the anti-corruption body prior to being officially charged at the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 11, 2024.
During the arraignment, the EFCC filed 12 charges against him, which include allegations of conspiracy to commit money laundering and illegal misappropriation of public funds totaling approximately N33.8 billion.
The accusations quickly captured nationwide interest due to the magnitude of the suspected fraud and the critical significance of the projects involved in the case.
In the first count, the EFCC claimed that the former Minister “conspired with other officials from your ministry and certain private companies to indirectly transfer the entire amount of =N=33,804,830,503.73 (Thirty-Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Four Million, Eight Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Five Hundred and Three Naira, and Seventy-Three Kobo) through different private companies… concerning the funds allocated for the Mambilla and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant Projects by the Federal Government of Nigeria… in violation of Sections 18(a) and 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 {as amended), and subject to punishment under Section 15(3) of the same legislation.”
In a separate allegation, Mamman was accused of personally acquiring “the amount of N18bn from the Federal Ministry of Power account held at the Central Bank of Nigeria via several private companies and foreign exchange bureaus.”
The EFCC further claimed that multiple transactions were organized to conceal the transfer of public money via middlemen and corporate entities.
As per court filings, some of the funds were reportedly directed towards the purchase of high-end real estate and foreign currency exchanges.
Upon the reading of the charges, Mamman stated “not guilty.”
His lawyers quickly disputed the claims and maintained that the prosecution was trying to turn routine governmental activities during his time as minister into criminal offenses.
But the EFCC continued forward.
In the subsequent months, prosecutors brought forth several witnesses, such as bank employees, financial investigators, ministry personnel, and currency exchange bureau operators.
The witnesses presented bank statements, internal notes, transaction details, and financial intelligence reports, which the prosecution claimed demonstrated a direct financial link between the former minister and the misappropriation of billions of naira.
A prosecution witness reportedly informed the court that significant cash flows and foreign currency transactions related to the case “deviated from standard government financial protocols.”
A different witness described how funds that were supposedly transferred from ministry accounts were converted into U.S. dollars via currency exchange offices and then given to associates and shell companies.
The prosecution consistently claimed that the transactions exhibited signs of money laundering.
As per the EFCC, the misappropriated funds formed part of the budgets designated for essential infrastructure initiatives focused on enhancing power generation and distribution throughout Nigeria.
The Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project, which was central to the accusations, has long been promoted as one of Nigeria’s key energy developments.
Subsequent governments highlighted the initiative as a key response to the nation’s power shortage, but it continued to face issues including financial disagreements, delayed implementation, and accusations of graft.
The trial of the former minister faced multiple delays due to procedural motions, filing conflicts, and health-related issues.
At a certain moment during the trial, Mamman is said to have collapsed within the courtroom, leading to an unexpected halt in the proceedings.
The event sparked broad public responses, with certain analysts wondering if his worsening health might delay or hinder the trial.
His legal team also launched continuous legal opposition to the prosecution’s evidence.
The defense contested the acceptance of multiple financial records presented by the EFCC, asserting that investigators did not demonstrate clear criminal intent.
The legal representative of the former minister, Femi Atteh, SAN, argued that several financial activities mentioned by the prosecution were administrative expenses conducted under the scope of government operations.
The defense additionally claimed that Mamman did not personally gain from the alleged activities and requested the court to drop the accusations.
However, the prosecutors maintained that the evidence presented in court demonstrated a conscious and organized misappropriation of public money.
As the case neared its end this year, another postponement occurred regarding the submission of final written arguments.
The defense is said to have missed submitting its location within the designated period, leading to another postponement before the final judgment date was finally set.
Following this, the decision that changed the direction of the case was made; on May 7, 2026, Judge James Omotosho found Mamman guilty on all 12 charges.
Rendering a verdict, the court ruled that the EFCC had effectively proven, to the point of no reasonable doubt, that the former minister was involved in the illegal transfer and concealment of public money.
Judge Omotosho is said to have concluded that the evidence submitted to the court indicated “a calculated transfer of public funds via private organizations and middlemen aimed at hiding the source of the money.”
The court dismissed the justifications provided by the defense concerning the financial activities.
As per the accounts of the hearing, the judge mentioned that the prosecution’s evidence was “direct, reliable, and largely uncontested.”
The verdict immediately sparked new public discussion about corruption in Nigeria’s public sector and brought renewed scrutiny to the handling of the power ministry under past governments.
However, the situation became even more intense soon after the conviction, when Mamman did not show up in court for the sentencing.
His departure surprised onlookers and led to swift measures by the court.
Justice Omotosho later issued a court order directing security agencies to detain the former minister wherever he was located.
The advancement led to rumors that he may have concealed himself upon realizing the probable result of the case.
The warrant further increased public attention on the trial, as numerous Nigerians closely followed events before the sentencing.
On May 13, 2026, the Federal High Court issued a verdict against him in his absence.
Justice Omotosho handed down individual prison sentences for each of the 12 charges and directed that the sentences be served one after another instead of at the same time.
The overall outcome was a 75-year jail term.
The court further directed the seizure of two four-bedroom standalone apartments situated at 93 Ahmed Joda Crescent, Kado Estate, Abuja, along with a property found at No. 12A & B, Lingo Street, Wuse, Abuja, by the Federal Government.
The judge additionally mandated the seizure of $13,890, €19,960, £10,000, 42,390 Doran, R35,000, ₹50,600 (Indian Rupee), and 247 Saudi Arabia Riyal by the government.
Justice Omotosho also instructed the police and other law enforcement bodies to make sure the punishment was carried out once the ex-minister was captured.
The punishment quickly became the central topic of public discussion due to its harshness.
Although Nigerian courts often hand down long sentences for various charges in corruption cases, these sentences are typically served at the same time, which lowers the actual time spent in prison.
Nevertheless, in Mamman’s situation, the court imposed consecutive sentences, significantly escalating the penalty.
The ruling was generally seen as one of the harshest anti-corruption penalties given to a former federal minister in Nigeria.
Activists against corruption praised the ruling as an indication that individuals with significant political influence can still face legal consequences.
Some, however, raised doubts about whether the conviction reflected biased enforcement in a nation where many corruption claims against government officials typically do not result in convictions.
In addition to the courtroom proceedings, the case brought renewed attention to Nigeria’s struggling power sector.
Many Nigerians viewed the Mamman trial as a representation of more profound issues in public administration and infrastructure management.
A former minister, now 67 years old, would technically be over 140 if the total 75-year sentence were carried out completely, a situation that has intensified public discussion about the symbolic significance of the penalty.
As of Friday, the ex-minister has stayed away from public view, while security forces are still working to find and detain him in accordance with the court’s directive.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc.Syndigate.info).
