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UPDATED: Ex-Power Minister Saleh Mamman jailed 75 Years for N33.8bn Fraud
UPDATED: Ex-Power Minister Saleh Mamman jailed 75 Years for N33.8bn Fraud
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday sentenced former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, to a total of 75 years’ imprisonment in absentia over a N33.8 billion fraud and money laundering case instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The court convicted Mamman on all 12 counts filed against him by the anti-graft agency, ruling that the prosecution successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Justice Omotosho ordered that the prison terms should run consecutively rather than concurrently, bringing the total jail term to 75 years.
The former minister was sentenced to seven years imprisonment each on counts 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 without an option of fine.
He was also sentenced to three years imprisonment on count four with an option of a N10 million fine and two years imprisonment on count five without an option of fine.
The court held that Mamman deliberately absconded from trial in a bid to frustrate the administration of justice.
Relying on provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, Justice Omotosho agreed with EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), that sentencing could legally proceed despite the defendant’s absence in court.
The judge consequently ordered all security agencies, including Interpol, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Immigration Service, to arrest Mamman wherever he is found and hand him over to the Nigerian Correctional Service to begin serving his sentence.
According to the court, the sentence will commence from the date of his arrest.
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Justice Omotosho also ordered the final forfeiture of all funds, foreign currencies and properties recovered from the former minister, including several properties traced to him in Abuja.
The court further directed Mamman to refund the outstanding balance from the N22 billion already traced to him out of the N33.8 billion allegedly diverted from funds earmarked for the Mambilla and Zungeru hydroelectric power projects.
The EFCC had accused the former minister of conspiring with ministry officials and private companies to divert public funds through a network of Bureau de Change operators who allegedly converted the money into foreign currencies before handing it over to him.
Investigators told the court that part of the diverted funds was used to acquire luxury properties in Abuja and other assets.
The court also found that Mamman violated anti-money laundering laws by making a cash payment of $655,700, equivalent to about N200 million, for a property in Abuja without passing through any financial institution as required by law.
Justice Omotosho, in a strongly worded judgment, criticised the former minister for enriching himself at a time Nigeria continued to struggle with poor electricity supply and inadequate power infrastructure.
“Rather than creating a legacy to tackle the epileptic power supply in the country, the defendant was living large at the expense of ordinary Nigerians,” the judge reportedly said during the proceedings.
Mamman, who served as Minister of Power under former President Muhammadu Buhari between 2019 and 2021, was initially arraigned by the EFCC in July 2024 in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/273/2024.
The charges bordered on conspiracy, money laundering and unlawful diversion of funds linked to the Mambilla and Zungeru hydroelectric power projects, two major electricity projects intended to boost Nigeria’s power generation capacity.
The prosecution presented multiple witnesses, financial documents, bank records and property acquisition evidence during the trial to establish the movement and laundering of the funds.
Justice Omotosho had earlier, on May 7, convicted the former minister in absentia after ruling that the EFCC had sufficiently established his culpability and subsequently issued a warrant for his arrest.
The conviction marks one of the heaviest prison sentences secured by the EFCC against a former federal cabinet member in recent years and is expected to reignite public debate over corruption and accountability in Nigeria’s power sector.
UPDATED: Ex-Power Minister Saleh Mamman jailed 75 Years for N33.8bn Fraud
News
Troops Rescue 119 Kidnap Victims, Eliminate Terrorists in Nationwide Crackdown – DHQ
Troops Rescue 119 Kidnap Victims, Eliminate Terrorists in Nationwide Crackdown – DHQ
ABUJA — Nigerian troops have rescued 119 abducted civilians and neutralised several terrorists during a week-long series of military operations across the country, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has announced.
The operations, conducted between November 6 and November 12, reportedly dealt significant blows to insurgents, kidnappers and other criminal groups operating in different parts of the country.
The latest military breakthrough comes amid growing concerns over insecurity, particularly attacks on motorists, abductions and terrorist activities along major highways and communities.
According to updates from the military high command, troops recorded significant successes across several operational theatres, with Borno State emerging as one of the major areas where security forces disrupted terrorist activities.
In one of the operations, soldiers reportedly intercepted insurgents attempting to ambush motorists and abduct travellers along major transportation routes in the state.
The intervention prevented the planned abductions and further demonstrated the military’s efforts to secure vulnerable highways and protect commuters.
The DHQ disclosed that 119 kidnapped civilians, including women and children, were rescued during the period under review.
The military also reported the elimination of several terrorists during offensive engagements targeting criminal hideouts, operational bases and suspected supply networks.
Beyond the rescue operations and neutralisation of insurgents, troops recovered eight operational vehicles allegedly seized by terrorists, alongside assorted weapons, ammunition and other logistical equipment.
Security operations were also intensified outside the North-East, with troops and other security agencies carrying out intelligence-led raids, disrupting kidnapping attempts and confronting criminal elements in the Federal Capital Territory, Plateau and Kwara states.
Watch: Nigerian Military Operations Against Terrorists and Rescue of Kidnap Victims
For additional context on the military’s ongoing anti-terrorism campaign and rescue operations, watch the video below:
The military’s nationwide operations were aimed at dismantling criminal networks, preventing further attacks and restoring confidence among residents and travellers using vulnerable routes.
The Defence Headquarters reaffirmed its determination to sustain pressure on terrorist groups and other criminal elements until lasting peace and security are restored across the country.
The latest operational figures represent another major effort by the Nigerian military in its ongoing campaign against terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.
Troops Rescue 119 Kidnap Victims, Eliminate Terrorists in Nationwide Crackdown – DHQ
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Photo News: Kwara Security Strategy Committee Submits Report to Gov AbdulRazaq
Photo News: Kwara Security Strategy Committee Submits Report to Gov AbdulRazaq
L-R: AIG Aderemi Opadokun (Rtd); Air Commodore Asa Buhari (Rtd); Major General Abidoye Olayemi (rtd); Team Lead Kwara State Security Strategy Committee, Major General Garba Abdulwahab (rtd); Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (CON); Rear Admiral A.B Lawal (rtd); Col. A.A Lawal (rtd); Alhaji M.A Jimba; Director of Special Services Governor’s Office, Mrs. Folorunsho Idayat Adeola; and Permanent Secretary General Service, Alhaji Shuaib Yitta, during a visit by members of the committee to the state governor (to submit their report) at the Ahmadu Bello House, Ilorin, on Wednesday.
News
Rivers Police Parade Two Suspects Over Murder of Okada Rider, Theft of Motorcycle
PORT HARCOURT – The Rivers State Police Command has paraded two young men arrested over the alleged murder of a commercial motorcycle operator, whose motorcycle they reportedly stole after luring him into a remote forest in the state.
The suspects, identified as 24-year-old Abubakar Sani and 20-year-old Yusuf Magaji, were arrested following an intelligence-led operation by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), Emohua.
The police said Sani allegedly confessed to participating in the killing of the victim, identified as Sani Musa, before the suspects escaped with his motorcycle.
Musa, a native of Zago Town in Kafin Hausa Local Government Area of Jigawa State, was reportedly operating as a commercial motorcycle rider in Rivers State before his death.
According to the police, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly lured the rider to a remote forest in Mbiama, Ahoada West Local Government Area, where they attacked and stabbed him to death.
His body was subsequently dumped in thick bushes, while the suspects allegedly fled with his motorcycle.
The police further disclosed that the suspects planned to transport the stolen motorcycle to Kano State through a waybill arrangement, allegedly hoping to evade security checks and conceal the motorcycle’s origin.
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The alleged criminal operation was uncovered at about 1pm on October 22, when police operatives received intelligence that some individuals were dismantling a suspected stolen motorcycle at Choba Motor Park.
Acting on the information, operatives of the VCRU moved to the location and arrested Sani and Magaji, who were both said to be from Kano State.
During interrogation, the suspects allegedly confessed to their involvement in the murder and subsequently led investigators to the Mbiama forest, where the decomposing remains of the deceased were recovered.
The recovery of the body provided investigators with further evidence in the ongoing investigation into the killing.
The command said arrangements were being made to release the deceased’s remains to his family for burial in accordance with Islamic rites, following a request by his relatives.
The Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Olugbenga Adepoju, has ordered a comprehensive investigation to establish the full circumstances surrounding the murder, identify possible accomplices and ensure that everyone connected to the crime is brought to justice.
The police command reiterated its commitment to combating murder, armed robbery, cultism and other violent crimes across Rivers State.
It also urged residents to provide credible and timely information to security agencies to help prevent criminal activities and improve public safety.
The two suspects are expected to face prosecution upon the conclusion of investigations.
Rivers Police Parade Two Suspects Over Murder of Okada Rider, Theft of Motorcycle
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