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Money laundering: Ex power minister, Mamman faints in court
Money laundering: Ex power minister, Mamman faints in court
Saleh Mamman, a former minister of power, on Thursday collapsed during his arraignment before the federal high court in Abuja.
Mamman is standing trial for a 12-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of N33,804,830,503
The charge is brought against him by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Before proceedings, Femi Ate, Mamman’s counsel, told James Omotosho, the judge, that his client had fainted due to ill health.
When he regained consciousness, the ex-minister joined the hearing when it resumed, he walked into the courtroom and stepped into the dock with his clothes slightly drenched.
The judge then asked Mamman why he was sweating or whether it was raining.
The ex-minister said water had been poured on him.
Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, the EFCC counsel, had told the court that there was a development outside the courtroom.
Olumide-Fusika said he had discussed Mamman’s sickness with Ate outside the courtroom.
“I was informed of an incident outside. I will want my learned senior advocate to tell the honourable court himself,” Olumide-Fusika said.
Responding, Ate said “upon being brought into the premises of the court, Mamman collapsed and had to be resuscitated and treated by the medical personnel of the federal high court”.
He said his client was served with the charge after he was resuscitated.
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“He was served this morning,” he added.
Ate said he had appealed to Olumide-Fusika that the case be adjourned to Monday on account of his client’s ill health.
However, the judge declined, saying the backlog in the court dockets will make short adjournment impossible, adding that the arraignment could only be fixed for September ending.
Ate then withdrew the oral application for an adjournment.
‘I TOOK DRUGS WITHOUT EATING’
Olumide-Fusika said he had filed an amended charge in the morning following a mistake in the name of the defendant, and prayed that a fresh charge be read to Mamman so he could take his plea.
Omotosho however demurred.
The judge then asked Mamman if he was fit enough to take his plea today. The defendant responded in the affirmative.
The former minister told the court that he collapsed outside the courtroom because he had taken medicines on an empty stomach.
He said while he was outside the courtroom waiting to be called, his blood pressure dropped.
Mamman said he was fit to continue with the arraignment.
“It can happen to any one,” the judge said.
The ex-minister told the court that he called the attention of his lawyer to “the error” made by the EFCC in the charge served on him.
“I was complaining about the name, that it was not my own,” he said.
Omotosho then stepped down the arraignment until 1pm today.
Mamman was appointed minister by former President Muhammadu Buhari in August 2019 and was sacked in September 2021.
In May 2023, the former minister was arrested by the anti-graft agency over an alleged N22 billion fraud.
The anti-graft agency alleges that Mamman conspired with officials at the power ministry and some private companies to “indirectly convert” the sum of N33.8 billion, which was meant for the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydro Electric Power projects.
Money laundering: Ex power minister, Mamman faints in court
metro
200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS
200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has disclosed that about 200,000 repentant terrorists have so far dropped their arms and surrendered to troops in the North East, noting that the twin strategy of kinetic and non-kinetic operations was responsible for this achievement.
The CDS made this known at the Security and Justice Symposium organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in collaboration with the British High Commission, which began at the National Counterterrorism Centre in Abuja on Tuesday.
He disclosed that the theme of the symposium, ”Securing Peace, Ensuring Justice, Protection, Conduct, and Accountability,” speaks volumes about the deluge of security challenges the armed forces and security agencies are facing.
His words, “All the challenges we are facing today have to do with fairness, equity, justice, and accountability.
“There will not be peace without justice, equity, fairness, and accountability. In our operations, we are conducting both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies, which have to a large extent yielded significant successes, and we want to particularly thank the National Security Adviser for his great support in this regard.
“Nigeria is going through so many challenges, and we feel we’re able to address this, and everybody has a sense of belonging. A lot of the security challenges we are having, we are sure, will go down. I want to thank the National Security Advisor for all the support he’s given us, both the kinetic and the non-kinetic.
“We have said it; the kinetic aspect is just less than 30%. The non-kinetic has a lot to play. The non-kinetic, because when you have democracy, people must have the evidence of democracy. As long as it tells people to sleep well and be peaceful, and they are hungry, their children cannot eat, and all this creates more problems.
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“The issue of informants. We have to look at how we tackle this issue of informants. Because these are the people who have created the issue.
200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS
metro
Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police
Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police
The spokesperson for the police in Delta State, SP Bright Edafe, has confirmed the death of two robbery suspects in the state.
Mr Edafe, who disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday in Warri, said that the deceased were killed from the bullets shot by their gang members.
According to him, the incident occurred on Wednesday at Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of the state.
Mr Edafe explained that the deceased were leading the police surveillance team attached to the Ekpan Division to their hideout when they were caught during a shoot-out.
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“The suspects were arrested at Effurun roundabout with a bag containing 57 live cartridges and other items. They were leading the surveillance team to their hideout at Warri/Sapele road when their gang members, on sighting the vehicle of the police team, engaged them in a shootout.During the gun duel, the arrested suspects that were leading the police team were fatally wounded by the gun shot of their colleagues. The two injured suspects were taken to the hospital and later died while receiving treatment,” he said.
Mr Edafe said that items recovered from the hoodlums hideout included: one English pump action gun, one locally made cut-to-size gun and eight live cartridges.
Others were: six iPhones, Smart phones and a Rolex wrist watch.
He said that the command had intensified manhunt on the fleeing members of the gang.
Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police
(NAN)
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