The trial of Saleh Mamman, the former Minister of Power, resumed on April 10, 2025, as The Economic and financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) presented more evidence at the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho.
Mamman is facing charges from the EFCC, including conspiracy to commit money laundering involving over N33.8 billion related to the Mambilla Power Project.
During the proceedings, the prosecutor, led by Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, presented additional evidence in a trial-within-trial concerning the admissibility of Mamman’s extra-judicial statements, which he claimed were made under duress.
EFCC investigator, Abubakar Muhammed Kwaido, testified that Mamman was not coerced during his statements and even expressed that Mamman voluntarily communicated with the Commission without intimidation.
A video of Mamman’s statement was played in court, where he discussed payments made in cash to Abubakar Mustapha Bida, the Mambilla Project Accountant, for a property acquired through him.
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Mamman explained that he chose not to use financial institutions for these transactions to avoid drawing attention due to his governmental position. He mentioned giving Bida N5 million in cash multiple times.
Mamman also spoke about a joint property purchase in Wuse with a friend who is a member of the House of Representatives.
He expressed frustration over the registration being in another person’s name and the difficulty in obtaining the paperwork after he left office. Throughout his testimony, Mamman accused Bida of dishonesty while admitting he benefitted from the transactions.
Additionally, he stated that he had authorized his lawyer to write statements on his behalf due to his health concerns. Justice Omotosho adjourned the trial until April 14, 2025, for further proceedings.
