Court orders transfer of ex-power minister Saleh Mamman to Kuje prison

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered the transfer of former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, to the Kuje Correctional Centre to begin serving his 75-year prison sentence for corruption.

The directive followed his presentation in court on Tuesday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which also filed an application seeking the forfeiture of five additional properties linked to the convict.

During proceedings, the court was informed that Mamman fled Abuja to Kaduna shortly after his sentencing earlier in May, allegedly due to ill health. A relative, who assisted him, told the court he was unaware of the ownership of the apartment where the former minister was hiding.

Justice Omotosho ruled that Mamman’s sentence takes immediate effect, noting that he had been present in Abuja when judgment was delivered but absconded afterward.

The EFCC, through its Director of Public Prosecution, Rotimi Oyedepo, requested a consequential order for the forfeiture of properties in Abuja and Kaduna allegedly acquired with illicit funds.

However, the court adjourned the forfeiture application to June 8, 2026, to allow Mamman secure legal representation and respond to the claims, after his counsel failed to appear in court.

Mamman was convicted on May 7, 2026, on a 16-count charge bordering on money laundering amounting to over ₦33.8bn. He was subsequently sentenced to a cumulative 75 years imprisonment.

The court had earlier issued a warrant for his arrest over repeated absence from proceedings. EFCC operatives later apprehended him on May 19 in Rigasa, Kaduna State, following intelligence-led operations.