- Safiu Kehinde
Former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, has on Wednesday bagged 75 years jail term days after being convicted over a N33.8 billion fraud linked to the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric power projects.
Mamman was sentenced by the trial judge, Justice James Omotosho, at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
NPO Reported that the ex-Minister was on Monday found guilty of all 12 counts bordering on conspiracy and money laundering brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
His sentencing was however adjourned till Wednesday due to his absence in court.
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho ordered that the various prison terms imposed on each count should run consecutively, bringing the total sentence to 75 years.
The judge also directed that the sentence should begin to run from the date the convict is arrested, as Mamman was sentenced in absentia.
The court further ordered all security agencies to arrest Mamman wherever he is found.
Justice Omotosho also ruled that all monies and properties recovered from the former minister be forfeited to the Federal Government.
According to report, the court ordered Mamman to refund the outstanding balance from the N22 billion traced to funds meant for the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Project.
The conviction followed a lengthy trial instituted by the EFCC, which accused the former minister of conspiring with ministry officials and private companies to divert approximately N33.8 billion earmarked for the two major power projects.
Mamman was arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 11, 2024, on a 12-count charge bordering on conspiracy and money laundering. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
In the course of the trial, the EFCC called 17 witnesses and tendered 43 exhibits in support of its case.
Mamman would file a no-case submission on November 19, 2025 following the prosecution’s conclusion of his case.
He argued that the evidence presented by the EFCC was insufficient to require him to enter a defence.
The ex-minister’s application would however be dismissed in a ruling delivered on December 11, 2025 by Justice Omotosho.
The judge held that the prosecution had established a prima facie case, stressing that the ruling did not amount to a declaration of guilt, but merely meant there was enough evidence requiring Mamman to respond to the allegations.
The case was subsequently adjourned to February 23, 2026, for the commencement of his defence.
According to reports, Wednesday’s judgement brings to a close a high-profile corruption case that began with Mamman’s arrest and detention by the EFCC on May 10, 2021.