Former Power Minister Saleh Mamman Sentenced to 75 Years in Prison for ₦33.8 Billion Money Laundering, Convicted in Absentia

Former Minister of Power Saleh Mamman, 68, has been sentenced to 75 years in prison by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, after being found guilty on all 12 counts of conspiracy and money laundering brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission involving approximately ₦33.8 billion in public funds earmarked for two of Nigeria’s most critical infrastructure projects.

The sentence, handed down with the convict absent from the courtroom, was structured to run consecutively across the 12 counts, producing the aggregate 75-year term. Justice Omotosho directed that the sentence begin to run from the date of Mamman’s arrest, acknowledging the reality that a man convicted in absentia must first be found before justice can be fully administered. The court issued an immediate directive to all security agencies to arrest Mamman wherever he is found.

The judge further ordered that all monies and properties already recovered from the former minister be forfeited to the Federal Government and directed Mamman to refund the outstanding balance from the ₦22 billion traced to funds meant specifically for the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project and the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Project, two generation assets whose completion has been a fixture of Nigeria’s power sector promises for years without producing the electricity millions of Nigerians were waiting for.

The Case and How It Developed

The legal proceedings against Saleh Mamman began with his arrest and detention by the EFCC on May 10, 2021, during a period when his tenure as Minister of Power under President Muhammadu Buhari was already generating scrutiny over the pace of progress on the country’s electricity generation targets. He was arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 11, 2024, on the 12-count charge, to which he pleaded not guilty.

The prosecution’s case alleged that Mamman conspired with ministry officials and private companies to divert the ₦33.8 billion earmarked for the Mambilla and Zungeru projects. After the prosecution closed its case, Mamman filed a no-case submission on November 19, 2025, arguing that the EFCC had presented insufficient evidence to require him to enter a defence.

Justice Omotosho dismissed that application in a ruling on December 11, 2025, holding that the prosecution had established a prima facie case. The judge was careful to note that the ruling did not constitute a declaration of guilt but simply meant there was enough evidence requiring Mamman to respond to the allegations. The case was adjourned to February 23, 2026 for the commencement of his defence.

That defence was never entered. Wednesday’s judgement, arriving at the conclusion of a trial that began with his 2021 detention and moved through arraignment, prosecution evidence, a failed no-case submission, and a defence that was scheduled but not delivered, brings the formal legal proceedings to a close. Whether the punishment can be administered depends on whether security agencies can locate the former minister.

What Was Stolen and What It Cost Nigeria

The Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project and the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Project sit at opposite ends of Nigeria’s power generation ambition, but they share a common history of delayed completion, contested funding, and allegations of financial mismanagement that have followed both projects through multiple administrations.

The Mambilla project, located in Taraba State and designed to generate 3,050 megawatts of electricity when completed, is among the largest infrastructure undertakings in Nigerian history. The Zungeru project in Niger State, with a 700-megawatt generation target, has been under construction for over a decade. Both were funded with public money, managed through a ministry whose stated purpose was to provide Nigerians with reliable electricity, and both have fallen far short of the timelines their funding was meant to support.

The ₦22 billion specifically traced to funds meant for these two projects represents money that should have been turning turbines and generating capacity for a country where the average household experiences multiple power outages daily, where small businesses run on generators whose fuel costs consume profits, and where hospitals manage critical care on backup power systems that are themselves unreliable.

At 68 years old and sentenced to 75 years, Saleh Mamman will not serve that term in biological reality. But the judgement establishes the legal record of what occurred, imposes forfeiture of recovered assets, and directs the refund of the outstanding balance. It also directs every security agency in Nigeria to bring him in.

The electricity that the diverted funds were meant to generate still has not arrived. The court has now spoken about why.