🟥 Court Delivers One Of Nigeria’s Harshest Corruption Sentences Against Former Minister
The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced former Nigerian Power Minister, Saleh Mamman, to a combined 75 years imprisonment over a ₦33.8 billion fraud and money laundering scandal linked to the Mambilla and Zungeru hydroelectric power projects.
In a dramatic ruling that immediately intensified anti-corruption conversations nationwide, Justice James Omotosho convicted Mamman on all 12 counts filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and ordered that the prison terms run consecutively.
The court also directed Nigerian security agencies and Interpol to arrest the former minister wherever he is found after proceedings continued in his absence.
The Saleh Mamman 75 years fraud sentence is now being viewed as one of the most severe corruption punishments handed to a former federal cabinet official in Nigeria’s recent democratic history.
🟨 Judge Condemns Mamman’s Absence, Says Justice Cannot Be Frustrated
A major turning point in the case came when the court ruled that Mamman deliberately stayed away from proceedings in an attempt to frustrate justice.
Justice Omotosho agreed with EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), that sentencing could lawfully proceed in absentia under provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
“The defendant cannot frustrate the administration of justice by deliberately staying away from court,” the judge ruled as proceedings unfolded.
The court subsequently ordered that the sentence should begin from the date of Mamman’s arrest.
That ruling significantly escalated the weight of the case because it transformed the matter from a standard corruption prosecution into a judicial enforcement and fugitive-tracking situation involving both domestic and international security coordination.
🟥 ₦33.8bn Linked To Strategic Electricity Projects At Centre Of Scandal
At the centre of the corruption case are funds tied to the Mambilla and Zungeru hydroelectric power projects — two projects repeatedly presented as critical to Nigeria’s electricity expansion ambitions.
According to the EFCC, billions of naira meant for the projects were diverted through laundering schemes allegedly involving ministry officials and associated entities.
The court ordered:
- final forfeiture of recovered funds
- seizure of properties linked to the convict
- refund of outstanding balances from the ₦22 billion already traced by investigators
The judgment also authorised the forfeiture of properties connected to Mamman in Abuja.
For many Nigerians already frustrated by prolonged electricity instability, the case carries wider public consequence because the projects involved were tied to infrastructure expected to improve national power supply and economic productivity.
🟨 EFCC Built Case With 17 Witnesses And 43 Exhibits
The EFCC originally arraigned Mamman in July 2024 on allegations bordering on conspiracy and money laundering.
During the trial, the anti-graft agency presented 17 witnesses and tendered 43 exhibits before the court in support of its claims.
Mamman had earlier attempted to halt proceedings through a no-case submission, arguing that prosecutors failed to establish sufficient evidence requiring him to open a defence.
However, Justice Omotosho dismissed the application in December 2025 after ruling that a prima facie case had already been established against the former minister.
That decision ultimately paved the way for Wednesday’s final conviction and sentencing.
🟥 Anti-Corruption Shockwave Likely To Reignite Debate Over Infrastructure Governance
Beyond the courtroom, the Saleh Mamman 75 years fraud sentence is expected to deepen national conversations around public procurement, electricity infrastructure funding and the repeated controversies surrounding large-scale power projects in Nigeria.
The Mambilla and Zungeru projects have long symbolised both Nigeria’s electricity ambitions and the governance failures critics say continue to slow delivery in the sector.
With the court now ordering asset forfeitures, financial recovery measures and international arrest coordination, the judgment may become a defining reference point in future anti-corruption enforcement discussions.
It also sends a wider institutional signal about how Nigerian courts may increasingly respond to high-profile corruption cases involving strategic national infrastructure funds.
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