The Federal High Court in Abuja has handed down a 75-year prison sentence to former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, after finding him guilty of large-scale financial crimes linked to Nigeria’s electricity sector. The judgment, delivered on Wednesday, followed his conviction on multiple counts bordering on the diversion and laundering of public funds allocated to major power projects.
Trial Judge James Omotosho ruled that the former minister, who is currently at large, be sentenced in absentia after failing to appear in court. The judge ordered that the prison terms run consecutively and take effect immediately upon Mamman’s arrest by security operatives or international law enforcement authorities.
According to prosecutors from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the offences involved the mismanagement of ₦33.8 billion earmarked for strategic electricity projects, including the Mambilla and Zungeru hydroelectric schemes. The court held that the funds, intended to strengthen national power infrastructure, were unlawfully diverted for private use between 2019 and 2021.
Brandspur Politics reports that the court further directed security agencies, including Interpol, to intensify efforts to apprehend the former minister. In addition to the custodial sentence, the court ordered the forfeiture of four high-value properties in Abuja and mandated the recovery of outstanding funds running into billions of naira.
The ruling adds to a growing list of high-profile corruption convictions in Nigeria’s public sector and reinforces ongoing efforts by authorities to clamp down on financial misconduct within critical national industries.
