The Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, on charges of conspiracy, money laundering, and diversion of public funds amounting to ₦33.8 billion. The judgment, delivered today, marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s fight against corruption in the power sector.
Mamman, who served under President Muhammadu Buhari from August 2019 until September 2021, was accused by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of misappropriating billions earmarked for major electricity projects, including the Mambilla and Zungeru hydroelectric initiatives. His conviction follows a lengthy trial that began in 2024, during which he once collapsed in court and was later granted bail set at ₦10 billion.
Born in Taraba State in 1958, Mamman studied Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Kaduna Polytechnic and later earned an MBA from Bayero University Kano. He began his career as a technical school teacher in Adamawa before joining the Taraba State Ministry of Works, where he rose to Assistant Director of Electrical Services before retiring in 2002. After venturing into business and politics, he was appointed Minister of Power in 2019, but his tenure was plagued by persistent challenges in electricity supply and regulation, and he was removed in a cabinet reshuffle in 2021.
His arrest in May 2023 and subsequent arraignment in July 2024 on a 12-count charge involving ₦33.8bn fraud placed him at the center of one of Nigeria’s largest corruption scandals in the power sector. Civil society groups hailed the conviction as a step toward accountability, urging the judiciary to sustain momentum in corruption trials. Political analysts say the judgment sets a precedent for tackling high-profile fraud cases in Nigeria’s power sector, while social media reactions were mixed, with some celebrating the ruling as justice served and others doubting whether recovered funds would benefit citizens.
The conviction is expected to reverberate across Nigeria’s political and economic landscape, reinforcing calls for transparency in public office and stricter oversight of infrastructure projects.
