The FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Wednesday, rejected an application to halt the N31 billion corruption trial of former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, and his co-defendants.
The application was filed by the second defendant, Mustapha Bida.
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In her ruling, the judge, Maryann Anenih, held that an application for “stay of proceedings in a criminal matter cannot be entertained”.
She then struck out the application.
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But she granted Mr Bida’s request to travel for Hajj.
The judge overruled the prosecution’s objection to grant the request.
She ordered Mr Bida to return from the planned Islamic pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia by 23 March and submit his passport unfailingly by 24 March.
The spokesperson for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Dele Oyewale, shared the details of the proceedings in a statement on Wednesday.
EFCC is prosecuting Mr Mamman and others, including Mr Bida, on nine counts of conspiracy, false pretence and fraud involving over N31 billion.
The case is a twin to a separate N33.98 billion corruption trial Mr Mamman is facing over his alleged corruption activities in office. Mr Mamman, who is the sole defendant in the case, was removed as the power minister in September 2021 by the then-president, the late Muhammadu Buhari, after two years stint in office.
The rest of the co-defendants in the N31 billion corruption trial are Joseph Omotayo Adewunmi, Ben Nsikak, Stephen Ojo, Oladipo Adebowale, Michael Achua and Ogunjobi Olusola.
EFCC arraigned them on 3 July 2025, accusing them of conspiracy and using bank accounts of various private companies to divert funds belonging to the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, on false pretence that it was used for payment of compensation.
After the court delivered its rulings on Wednesday, the prosecution led by Rotimi Oyedepo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Director of Public Prosecutions, tendered the account statements of some companies through the first prosecution witness.
The companies include Spinhills Biz International Limited, Silverline Ocean Ventures Limited, Beaver Builders Limited, Gurupche Business Enterprise and Breathable Investment Limited.
Others are First-class construction Project limited, Royal Perimeter Ventures, Dannywest Limited, Dorino Bright Limited and Sipikin Global Ventures Limited.
The EFCC presented all the firm’s bank statements through a compliance officer with Zenith Bank, Umar Abba.
Mr Abba, the first prosecution witness, said the EFCC wrote to the bank requesting the statements of accounts that were tendered.
The defence did not object to the admissibility of the documents. Subsequently, the judge admitted them as exhibits.
Under cross-examination by the defence team, the witness said the bank did not send copies of the EFCC letter to the account holders, citing legal prohibitions and established banking protocols.
He confirmed that Mr Saleh has an account with Zenith Bank, but said he did not know the ex-minister personally.
Charges
EFCC alleged in the nine counts that Mr Mamman and his co-defendants committed the offences between 2019 and 2022.
One of the counts alleged that the defendants, on 29 March 2021, used a Zenith bank Account No. 1016555108, belonging to a firm- Breathable Investment Limited- and obtained N483.205million from the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, by falsely pretending that the money represented “payment for compensation, relocation and resettlement of communities of corps and buildings in Zungeru Hepp.”
The prosecution also alleged that on 19 December 2019, the defendants obtained through First Class Construction and Project with account No. 1016554314 domiciled with Zenith bank Plc, N426.874m from the Ministry by falsely pretending that it was payment for IPC No 20 of Zungeru Hepp, knowing same to be false.
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It alleged that on 21 March 2021, the defendants also used the account of another firm, Fullest Utility Concept domiciled with First City Monument Bank, and obtained N435.250m from the ministry, pretending that the money was used to pay compensation for building/structures by Niger State committee on resettlement of communities to be affected by federal government’s power project.
The 12 counts were brought under the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act 2006.
Some of the defendants were identified as directors in charge of finance and account of the power ministry.
All the defendants denied the charges.
Another trial
The trial is the second corruption case against Mr Mamman stemming from his activities as power minister.
He is standing a separate trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja on 12 counts of conspiracy and money laundering involving N33.8 billion.
The charges relate to alleged diversions of funds meant for the Mambilla Power Project. The EFCC alleged that over N26 billion was diverted under Mr Mamman’s instruction using Bureau de Change operators.
Then-Presiden Buhari removed Mr Mamman from office on 1 September 2021, marking the end of his two-year stint in office that started with his appointment in August 2019.
In May 2021, EFCC agents arrested him over allegations of diversion of funds from the accounts dedicated to the Mambilla Hydro Electric Power Project during his stint as the minister.
The arrest and investigation led to the 12 counts the EFCC filed against him at the Federal High Court.
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