Nigeria’s former Minister of Power under the late Buhari administration, Saleh Mamman, has been convicted on twelve (12) counts of fraud and money laundering by a Federal High Court in Abuja, Vanguardngr.com reported, citing court proceedings on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
The court, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, stated that it was satisfied that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had successfully established Mamman’s culpability beyond any reasonable doubt.
Mamman was arrested in 2021, a few months after his removal from office by the late President Muhammadu Buhari. The EFCC found him complicit in the illegal diversion of public funds totaling approximately ₦33.8 billion, earmarked for power projects.
According to court proceedings, the convict made cash payment of $655,700 (approximately ₦200 million) for landed property in Abuja without using a financial institution. The court also found him guilty of criminal breach of trust in relation to funds released by the federal government for the Mambilla and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant projects.
Most of the funds, the court noted, were siphoned through Bureau de Change operators (BDCs), who converted the money into foreign currencies and handed it over to Mamman.
“The evidence of the prosecution is overwhelming compared to the scanty and almost absent defense presented by the defendant. He did not provide any credible evidence to rebut the prosecution’s case,” Justice Omotosho said, according to Vanguardngr.com.
The trial judge criticized the former minister for prioritizing personal wealth over national development. “Rather than leaving a legacy to tackle the epileptic power supply in the country, the defendant was living large at the expense of ordinary citizens. Little wonder Nigerians have remained in darkness till today,” he added.
Mamman was absent when the court delivered the verdict, according to multiple news sources. Consequently, the court deferred his sentencing, while the EFCC applied for a warrant of arrest to be issued against him.
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