Nigeria: Inside Corruption Trial That Sent Ex-Minister Mamman to Record 75 Years in Prison

What the report says

Premium Times, republished by AllAfrica, reports that a Federal High Court in Abuja convicted former Nigerian Minister of Power Saleh Mamman on 7 May and later sentenced him on 19 May to a total of 75 years in prison after finding him guilty on 12 money-laundering counts linked to N33.8 billion tied to electricity projects. The 68-year-old denied the allegations after being arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in July 2024 and granted bail the following month, but the court ruled against him after the prosecution called 17 witnesses and submitted dozens of exhibits.

The article says the case centers on funds meant for the Mambilla and Zungeru hydropower schemes, projects intended to add major generating capacity to Nigeria’s grid. Premium Times highlights how the trial has renewed debate over corruption in the power sector and the wider problem of chronic electricity shortages, even after years of public spending and repeated reform promises.

According to the reporting, prosecutors traced part of the money to a property purchase in Abuja and alleged that cash payments were made outside the banking system. Witnesses included a real-estate agent, a seller’s representative and a bank compliance officer, whose testimony was used to support the EFCC’s account of how the funds were moved through proxy transactions and later used for private benefit. The report says the findings underscore concerns about abuse of public trust in Nigeria’s energy projects.