EFCC Set To Arraign Buhari’s Minister Over ₦33-Billion Money Laundering Charges

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to arraign former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, on Thursday, July 11, before Justice J. K. Omotosho on charges of alleged ₦33 billion money laundering.

According to Channels TV, an EFCC insider disclosed that Mamman faces a 12-count charge, including conspiracy to commit money laundering and possession and use of proceeds from criminal conduct.

The charge documents, signed by prosecution counsel Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, and others, reveal that counts 1-2 pertain to conspiracy to commit money laundering; counts 3-4 involve money laundering through cash payments exceeding lawful limits; count 5 addresses the purchase of landed property with cash payments; and counts 6-12 focus on possession and use of proceeds from criminal activities.

The investigation covers the period from 2019 to 2022, during which Mamman served as a minister under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

On May 10, 2021, he was taken into custody and held at the headquarters of the anti-corruption agency in Abuja.

On September 1, 2021, Buhari dismissed Mamman along with the then Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, as part of a cabinet reshuffle.

Mamman faced allegations of colluding with ministry staff responsible for the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydro Electric Power projects’ accounts to misappropriate around N22 billion.

The investigation revealed properties both in Nigeria and abroad allegedly connected to the suspects, with millions of naira and dollars reportedly recovered.

Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered a former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development, Sadia Umar-Farouk to account for the payments of ₦729 billion to 24.3 million poor Nigerians for six months.

Umar-Farouk was also ordered to provide the list and details of the beneficiaries who received the payments, the number of states covered and the payments per state.

The judgment was delivered in June by Hon. Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu following a Freedom of Information suit numbered FHC/L/CS/853/2021, brought by the Socio-Economic Rights And Accountability Project (SERAP).