Former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, has been transferred to the Nigeria Correctional Centre in Kuje, Abuja, following a Federal High Court order directing the immediate commencement of his 75-year prison sentence over a multi-billion naira money laundering conviction.
Justice James Omotosho gave the order on Tuesday after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, presented Mamman before the court and filed a consequential application seeking the forfeiture of five additional properties allegedly linked to the convicted former minister.
The judge ruled that Mamman’s prison term takes effect immediately, stressing that the ex-minister fled Abuja for Kaduna shortly after his conviction and sentencing earlier in May.
During proceedings, a relative of the convict, Shamsudeen Mohammed, told the court that Mamman had travelled from Abuja to Kaduna by taxi for traditional medical treatment and was hiding in a rented apartment in the Rigasa area of Kaduna State before his arrest.
Mamman told the court he stayed away from proceedings because of ill health.
The EFCC also pushed for the forfeiture of five additional properties in Abuja and Kaduna allegedly traced to the former minister, including luxury apartments, mansions and a commercial plaza in Abuja’s Wuse 2 district.
Justice Omotosho adjourned the hearing on the forfeiture application till June 8, 2026, to allow Mamman to secure legal representation.
The EFCC had secured Mamman’s conviction on 16 counts bordering on money laundering and unlawful property acquisitions involving over N33.8 billion. He was arrested in Kaduna on May 19, 2026, after weeks of surveillance following his disappearance after sentencing.