Former Nigerian Power Minister Saleh Mamman Jailed for 75 Years Over Corruption Case

Former Nigerian power minister Saleh Mamman has been sentenced to 75 years in prison for laundering 33.8 billion naira linked to electricity projects, according to the EFCC. He was convicted by a Federal High Court in Abuja and sentenced in absentia. Mamman served as minister from 2019 to 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari. The case highlights ongoing corruption trials involving former top officials in Nigeria amid persistent electricity shortages in the country.

A Nigerian court has sentenced former power minister Saleh Mamman to 75 years in prison for laundering millions of dollars meant for hydroelectricity projects, according to the country’s anti-corruption agency, the EFCC.
Mamman was found guilty of laundering 33.8 billion naira ($24.6 million) and was sentenced by the Federal High Court in Abuja. The EFCC said the judgment was delivered by Justice James Omotosho, who ruled that Mamman be jailed for the financial crimes.
The former minister, who served between 2019 and 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, was sentenced in absentia. He becomes the first cabinet-level official from Buhari’s administration to be jailed for corruption.
Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer and fourth-largest economy, continues to struggle with severe electricity shortages despite major power investments. More than 40% of the population still lacks access to grid electricity, according to the World Bank.
The case adds to a series of corruption trials involving senior officials from the previous administration, including a former justice minister, a former central bank governor, and a former labour minister, all of whom are facing related fraud charges.