A Federal High Court in Abuja, the nation’s capital, has sentenced former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman to 75 years in prison after convicting him on all 12 counts of money laundering and fraud filed by the EFCC.
Justice James Omotosho delivered the verdict on Wednesday. She ordered the sentences to run consecutively: 7 years each on 10 counts without an option of fine, 3 years on one count with a ₦10 million fine option, and 2 years on the final count without a fine option.
The judge ruled that Mamman deliberately absented himself from court to frustrate the trial. Citing the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, she said sentencing could proceed in his absence.
She also ordered security agencies, including Interpol, to arrest him wherever he is found and hand him over to the Nigerian Correctional Service to begin serving time from the date of arrest.
The court ordered the final forfeiture of recovered funds, foreign currencies, and properties linked to Mamman, including assets traced to him in Abuja.
He was also directed to refund the outstanding balance from the ₦22 billion found to have been diverted from the Mambilla and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power projects.
Mamman served as Minister of Power under former President Muhammadu Buhari. He was arraigned in July 2024 on charges of conspiracy and money laundering involving ₦33.8 billion.
