From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed a fresh criminal charge against the former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman and seven others before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, bordering on alleged advance fee fraud to the tune of N31 billion.
Other defendants charged alongside Mamman in the charge marked FCT/CR/ 375/2025 are Mustapha Abubakar Bida, Joseph Omotayo Adewunmi, Ben Nsikak, Stephen Ojo, Oladipo Adebowale and Ogunjobi Olusola.
While the prime suspect, Bida, is director of finance and account, Federal Ministry of Power, Nsikak is director, Federal Project/Financial Management (in charge of deployment of projects). Ojo is of the Account Department at the Federal Ministry of Power, Michael Achua is the assistant project accountant while Olusola is an assistant accountant in the Federal Ministry of Power.
The charge dated June 13, 2025 was filed by Rotimi Oyedepo Iseoluwa.
Former minister was equally charged separately on a 12-count charge bordering on alleged conspiracy to commit money laundering in relation to the Mambilla Power Project to the tune of N33.8 billion before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court Abuja.
At the trail before the Federal High Court, none of the defendants in the fresh charge pending before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, including Bureau De Change companies and operators, was listed as defendants by the EFCC.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants had between 2019 and 2022, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the court, with intent to defraud, conspired among themselves, to obtain by false pretence the aggregate sum of N31, 070, 541, 349.64 billion, through various private companies from the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, and they thereby committed an offence contrary to section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.
That the defendants had on or about March 29, 2021, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the court, with intent to defraud, conspired among themselves to obtain through Breathable Investment Limited with account No: 1016555108 domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc, the sum of N483, 205, 650, 00 from the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing by falsely pretending that the said sum represented “payment for compensation, relocation, and resettlement of communities of corps and buildings in Zungeru Help,” which representation you knew to be false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.
That the defendants had on or about December 9, 2019, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the court, with intent to defraud, obtained through First Class Construction and Project, with account No.1016554314 domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc, the sum of N462, 874, 250 from the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing by falsely pretending that the said sum represented “payment for IPC No 20 of Zungeru Help,” which representation you knew to be false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.
The prosecution further alleged that the defendants had on or about March 29, 2021, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the court, with intent to defraud, obtained through First Class Construction and Project, with account No.1016554314 domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc, the sum of N635, 470,900.00, from the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing by falsely pretending that the said sum represented “Payment for compensation on building/structures on communities affected by Zungeru Help,” which representation you knew to be false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.
In count five, the defendants were alleged to have on or about March 31, 2021, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the court, with intent to defraud, obtained through Fullest Utility Concept with account No. 3909209012 domiciled with First City Monument Bank, the sum of N435, 250, 130.00, from the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing by falsely pretending that the said sum represented “Payment for buildings/structure by the Niger State Committee on Resettlement of Communities to be affected by the project,” which representation you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.
Meanwhile, the scheduled arraignment of the defendants was yesterday stalled following the absence of the Chief Judge, Hussein Baba Yusuf, who was said to be on an official engagement at the National Judicial Institute (NJI).
Consequently, the arraignment of the defendants was shifted to July 15.
At his trial before the Federal High Court, the former minister who gave evidence in his trial-within-trial proceedings, lamented that he was subjected to an uncomfortable situation at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission when he was compelled to make his statement during investigation.
He told the court that he was in serious pains as a result of ill health and his plea to allow him time to recover before he could make his statement was refused by the EFCC investigators.
He particularly mentioned that one Shehu specifically told him that he was the target of the investigation.
