- By Kamil Opeyemi
A former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, has collapsed at the court in Abuja on Thursday shortly before the commencement of his trial over a N33.8bn fraud allegedly perpetrated while in office.
Mamman had collapsed outside the courtroom while awaiting his case to be mentioned.
He said he had taken his daily medication at a time he had not eaten which made his blood pressure to drop suddenly.
Water was poured on him after which he was resuscitated.
He was later led into the courtroom where the judge had asked why he appeared in the court drenched.
Mamman had said water was poured on him as part of the first aide after he collapsed.
His counsel, Femi Ate, SAN, told Justice James Omotosho shortly when the matter was called for Mamman to take his plea.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, while addressing the court, said though the matter was fixed for Mamman’s arraignment, there was a development outside the courtroom.
Olumide-Fusika said he had a discussion with Ate outside the courtroom about Mamman’s ill-health.
“I was informed of an incident outside. I will want my learned senior advocate to tell the honourable court himself,” he said.
Speaking, Ate said Mamman, “upon being brought into the premises of the court, he collapsed and had to be resuscitated and treated by the medical personnel of the Federal High Court.”
He said his client was served with the charge after he was resuscitated.
“He was served this morning,” he added.
The senior lawyer said he sought the understanding of Olumide-Fusika for an adjournment so that the arraignment could be done on Monday when his client would have been okay.
But the judge said due to the workload in the court dockets, the arraignment could only be fixed for September ending.
Ate then withdrew the oral application for an adjournment.
Olumide-Fusika said he had filed an amended charge n the morning of Thursday.
He said this was because of a mistake in the name of the defendant and prayed the court that the fresh charge be read to Mamman to take his plea but Justice Omotosho disagreed with him.
The judge, however, asked Mamman if he was fit enough to take his plea today, and he responded in the affirmative.
The former minister explained to the court that he collapsed outside the courtroom because of the drugs he took when he had not eaten, and while he was outside the courtroom waiting to be called, his blood pressure dropped.
Mamman, however, said he was fit to continue with the arraignment.
“It can happen to anyone,” the judge said.
The ex-minister he called the attention of his lawyer to the error made by the EFCC on the name in the charge served on him.
“I was complaining about the name, that it was not my own,” he said.
Justice Omotosho then stepped down the arraignment until 1pm today.