Keypoints:
- Nigerian court sentences former minister to 75 years
- Case involved nearly $25m linked to power projects
- EFCC secured convictions on 12 corruption charges
NIGERIA’S former power minister Saleh Mamman has been sentenced to a combined 75 years in prison after a federal court convicted him over the diversion of funds tied to two major hydroelectric projects.
The ruling is among the most significant corruption convictions involving a senior official from the administration of former Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari, whose government repeatedly pledged to tackle graft and reform the country’s struggling electricity sector.
A Federal High Court in Abuja last week found Mamman guilty on 12 counts linked to the misappropriation of almost $25m allocated for the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric power projects, according to Nigerian outlet Premium Times and court proceedings brought by the country’s anti-graft agency.
Court orders consecutive jail terms
Justice James Omotosho delivered the sentence on Wednesday after the court’s earlier conviction of Mamman.
Justice James Omotosho ordered that the sentences on the 12 counts run consecutively, producing a combined jail term of 75 years.
Mamman, who served as power minister between August 2019 and September 2021, was absent during the sentencing hearing. The court also ordered that assets and funds recovered from the former minister be permanently forfeited to the Nigerian government.
According to local media reports from the courtroom, the judge condemned the scale of the corruption uncovered during the trial.
‘The sheer greed of the defendant and his comrades in crime is nothing but a downright shameful thing,’ Justice Omotosho said, according to Premium Times’ courtroom coverage.
The case was prosecuted by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, commonly known as the EFCC, which accused the former minister and several associates of unlawfully diverting public funds intended for critical energy infrastructure.
Hydropower projects under scrutiny
The Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric schemes are among Nigeria’s largest planned power projects and were designed to help ease chronic electricity shortages in Africa’s most populous country.
The Mambilla hydropower project, located in Taraba State, has long been promoted as a flagship energy development expected to generate more than 3,000 megawatts of electricity once completed. However, the project has faced years of delays linked to financing disputes, legal battles and governance concerns.
The Zungeru hydropower project in Niger State has also experienced setbacks despite substantial government investment and foreign financing support.
Analysts say persistent corruption and weak oversight have contributed to repeated failures in Nigeria’s electricity sector, despite decades of reform efforts and billions of dollars in spending.
Anti-corruption drive faces scrutiny
The sentencing is likely to renew debate around corruption within Nigeria’s public institutions and the effectiveness of accountability measures introduced under previous administrations.
The Buhari government, which governed from 2015 to 2023, frequently positioned anti-corruption reforms as a central policy objective. Yet critics argued that prosecutions often moved slowly and that major infrastructure projects remained vulnerable to abuse.
Nigeria continues to struggle with unreliable electricity supply, forcing households and businesses to rely heavily on diesel and petrol generators. Frequent blackouts remain a major obstacle to economic growth and industrial development.
Legal experts say the lengthy sentence handed to Mamman could signal a tougher judicial approach toward public corruption cases involving infrastructure financing.
The EFCC has in recent years expanded investigations into alleged financial crimes involving former public officials as authorities attempt to restore confidence in state institutions and reassure international investors.
Whether the conviction will accelerate broader reforms in Nigeria’s power sector remains uncertain, but the ruling is expected to stand as one of the country’s most significant anti-corruption judgments involving a former cabinet minister.
