EFCC SMOKES OUT FUGITIVE EX-MINISTER SALEH MAMMAN 5 DAYS AFTER 75-YEAR SENTENCE
GREATRIBUNETVNEWS–ARRESTED in Kano at 3:30 a.m. over ₦33bn power project fraud
Key Issues:
1. EFCC Ends 15-Month Manhunt for Saleh Mamman
_”The manhunt mounted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for Saleh Mamman, former Minister of Power, finally paid off on Tuesday with the announcement of his arrest, most after he went into hiding.”
2. Arrest Comes 5 Days After 75-Year Jail Term
_”It came five days after the former Minister was convicted and sentenced to 75-year prison term by a Federal High Court, Abuja, for financial misappropriation while he served in that position.”
3. Mamman Arrested in Kano at 3:30 a.m.
_”A triumphant Ola Olukoyede, Chairman of the anti-graft agency, who confirmed that the fleeing minister was arrested at 3:30 am on Tuesday, said the breakthrough had ended a 15-month saga since the agency went after him by filing a case in court seeking to bring him to book for stealing of N33billion meant for power projects.”
4. Convicted for Converting ₦33bn Meant for Power Projects
_”Ladies and gentlemen, you will recall that sometime in January 2025, we filed charges against the ex-minister of power for allegedly converting over ₦33 billion – money that was set aside for the Mambilla and Zungeru power projects.”
5. Convicted on All 12 Counts, Sentenced in Absentia
_”About 14 to 15 months down the line, specifically on the 7th of this month, we secured convictions on all 12 counts. Because the defendant was not present, the issue of sentencing was shifted. And on the 13th of this month, he was sentenced in absentia.”
6. Two Others Arrested for Shielding Him
_”Mamman was arrested along with two others, whom the anti-graft agency accused of protecting a convicted person. We have discovered that he was actually being protected all this while.”
Stating that the agency, would also investigate the house where the former minister was arrested, the EFCC boss described the development as “a testament to the commitment of the Federal Government of Nigeria to the fight against corruption in Nigeria”.
“It is to assure Nigerians that anyone who has taken government or national resources will not go unpunished, and the eagle eye of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will always catch up with you wherever you are hiding.”
The court convicted him on all 12 counts preferred against him by the EFCC. On May 13, Mamman was convicted and sentenced to a total of 75 years’ imprisonment in absentia over ₦33.8 billion in money laundering offences linked to the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric power projects.
The trial judge, Justice James Omotosho, ordered that the sentences shall run consecutively, bringing the total term to 75 years.
Justice Omotosho held that Mamman’s absence from court on the day of sentencing and on the previous adjourned date was a deliberate attempt to frustrate the administration of justice.
The court sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment on Counts 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 without an option of a fine.
Mamman was also sentenced to three years’ imprisonment on Count 4 with an option of a ₦10 million fine and two years’ imprisonment on Count 5 without an option of a fine.
Omotosho mandated all security agencies to liaise with Interpol to ensure the Mamman’s arrest
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