A prosecution witness, Abubakar Kwaido has told the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, that the former Minister of Power, Mamman Saleh, standing trial over an alleged N33.8 billion fraud, willingly made his confessional statement in the presence of his legal representatives and associates.
Mamman is standing trial in respect of the charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly laundering N33,804,830,503.73 in connection with the Mambilla Power Project.
The prosecution witness who is an EFCC investigator in his testimony, refuted the claim by the defense attorney, Femi Atteh (SAN) that the ex-minister’s confessions were made under duress.
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He stated that Mamman provided his statements on multiple dates, starting from May 10, 11, 12, 15, 17, 19, and again on August 3 and 9 in 2023, with his lawyers and others present throughout the process.
“It was surprising to hear allegations of threats; the videos presented showed the defendant and his lawyer appearing quite cheerful.
“On May 11, 2023, Mamman’s statement was recorded with his legal counsel, P.A. Aderungi present, and the following day, it was noted with P.A. Adewuyi and Aliyu Musa present.
“On May 15, 2023, he was cautioned with Muzzarril Yahaya present. The recording on May 17, 2023, was done with Umar Yunusa by his side, and on May 19, 2023, he was advised with Paul Adetako present.
“On August 3, 2023, his business partner Rabiu was with him, and finally, on August 9, 2023, he made his confession with Sulieman Yusuf present.
“He invited all these individuals to the commission,” the witness testified.
Despite the defense’s objections to the inclusion of Mamman’s extra-judicial confessions, the judge ultimately accepted them in court after compelling arguments from the prosecuting lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).
Meanwhile, Justice Omotosho has scheduled the case to continue on Friday, June 27, 2025, for further cross-examination.
