The conviction and 75-year prison sentence handed to former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, has become one of the country’s most dramatic anti-corruption cases in recent years. NATHANIEL SHAIBU examines the twists, legal battles and implications of a case that has reignited public outrage over corruption in the country’s troubled power sector
On May 13, 2026, the conviction and 75-year prison sentence handed to former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, marked the climax of nearly two years of investigations, courtroom battles, procedural delays and dramatic twists.
The legal battle transformed the former cabinet member from a serving minister into a fugitive facing one of the stiffest corruption punishments imposed on a public official in recent years.
From his arrest by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in 2024 to his conviction by the Federal High Court in Abuja two years later, Mamman’s legal journey exposed how billions of naira earmarked for critical power projects were allegedly diverted through proxies, private companies and bureau de change.
The case also reopened public anger over the chronic failure of Nigeria’s power sector, a sector that has consumed enormous public funds for decades while millions of Nigerians continue to grapple with unstable electricity supply.
Mamman, who served as Minister of Power under late President Muhammadu Buhari between 2019 and 2021, first came under EFCC scrutiny following intelligence reports and financial tracing linked to the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project and the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Project.
Investigators alleged that huge sums released for the projects were illegally moved from government accounts into private hands.
The former minister was eventually arrested and questioned by the anti-graft agency before being formally arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 11, 2024.
At the arraignment, the EFCC slammed him with a 12-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit money laundering and unlawful diversion of public funds amounting to about N33.8bn.
The charges immediately drew national attention because of the scale of the alleged fraud and the strategic importance of the projects tied to the case.
In Count One, the EFCC alleged that the former Minister, “conspired with other officials of your Ministry and some private companies to indirectly convert the total sum of =N=33,804,830,503.73 {Thirty-Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Four Million, Eight Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Five Hundred and Three Naira, and Seventy-Three Kobo) through various private companies… in relation to the funds released for the Mambilla and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant Projects by the Federal Government of Nigeria… contrary to Sections 18(a), 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 {as Amended), and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
In another count, Mamman was alleged to have directly taken possession “of the sum of N18bn from the Federal Ministry of Power account domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria through various private companies and bureau de change operators.”
The EFCC also alleged that several transactions were structured to disguise the movement of public funds through intermediaries and corporate fronts.
According to court documents, part of the money was allegedly channelled into the acquisition of luxury properties and foreign exchange transactions.
When the charges were read, Mamman pleaded “not guilty”.
His legal team immediately challenged the allegations and insisted that the prosecution was attempting to criminalise official government transactions carried out during his tenure as minister.
But the EFCC pressed ahead.
Over the following months, prosecutors called multiple witnesses, including bank officials, financial investigators, ministry staff and bureau de change operators.
The witnesses tendered bank statements, internal memos, transaction records and financial intelligence reports which the prosecution argued established a clear money trail linking the former minister to the diversion of billions of naira.
One prosecution witness reportedly told the court that large cash movements and foreign exchange transactions connected to the case “did not follow normal government financial procedures.”
Another witness explained how funds allegedly moved from ministry accounts were converted into dollars through bureau de change before being redistributed to associates and proxy companies.
The prosecution repeatedly argued that the transactions bore the hallmarks of money laundering.
According to the EFCC, the diverted funds were part of allocations intended for critical infrastructure projects aimed at improving electricity generation and transmission across Nigeria.
The Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project, which featured prominently in the charges, has for years been presented as one of Nigeria’s flagship power initiatives.
Successive administrations promoted the project as a major solution to the country’s electricity crisis, yet it remained trapped in controversies involving funding disputes, delayed execution and allegations of corruption.
Proceedings in the trial of the former minister suffered repeated adjournments arising from procedural applications, filing disputes and health-related interruptions.
At one point during the trial, Mamman reportedly slumped inside the courtroom, forcing an abrupt suspension of proceedings.
The incident generated widespread public reactions, with some observers questioning whether his deteriorating health could slow down or complicate the trial.
His lawyers also mounted sustained legal resistance against the prosecution’s evidence.
The defence challenged the admissibility of several financial documents tendered by the EFCC and argued that investigators failed to establish direct criminal intent.