Former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, has been sentenced to 75 years in prison by the Federal High Court in Abuja over a ₦33.8 billion fraud linked to the Mambilla and Zungeru hydroelectric power projects.
Justice James Omotosho delivered the judgement after finding Mamman guilty on all 12 counts of conspiracy and money laundering filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The court ruled that the prison terms on each count would run consecutively.
The judge ordered that the sentence take effect from the date of Mamman’s arrest, noting that he was convicted in absentia, and directed security agencies to apprehend him wherever he is located.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of all recovered funds and properties linked to the former minister to the Federal Government, while directing him to refund the outstanding balance from the ₦22 billion traced to the hydroelectric power projects.
The EFCC had accused Mamman and several accomplices of diverting funds allocated for the Mambilla and Zungeru power projects. During the trial, the anti-graft agency presented 17 witnesses and 43 exhibits as evidence.
Mamman, who was arraigned in July 2024, had pleaded not guilty to the charges before the court eventually convicted him after dismissing his no-case submission.
