The charges form part of a broader anti-corruption drive targeting alleged financial misconduct in public office.
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama Division, Abuja, on Thursday, April 23, 2026, fixed June 9, 2026, for judgment in the trial of former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, who is standing trial over alleged fraud.
Mamman is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 12-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit money laundering to the tune of N33,804,830,503.73 (Thirty-three Billion, Eight Hundred and Four Million, Eight Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Five Hundred and Three Naira, Seventy-three Kobo).
The charges form part of a broader anti-corruption drive targeting alleged financial misconduct in public office.
At the resumed hearing, defence counsel, Femi Atteh, SAN, informed the court that the defence had complied with all procedural requirements regarding final submissions.
He stated that he filed his final written address on behalf of the defendant on April 1, 2026, and subsequently filed a reply addressing the prosecution’s final written address.
Atteh told the court that the defence team was relying fully on its written submissions and earlier applications, urging the court to evaluate the totality of the evidence presented during the trial and “discharge and acquit Mamman.”
He maintained that the prosecution had failed to sufficiently establish the elements of the offences contained in the 12-count charge.
In response, prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, confirmed that the prosecution filed its final written address on April 14, 2026. He urged the court to uphold the prosecution’s case and return a guilty verdict on all counts, arguing that the evidence before the court was both direct and corroborative.
Emphasising key aspects of the prosecution’s case, Oyedepo stated: “Your lordship, what is important is the fact that funds left a particular government account and went to a BDC (Bureau de Change) account. The BDC came before my lord to say that it received this money. The BDC went ahead to tell your lordship how he was carrying money to the defendant’s house. The boy who was working with the defendant also came to testify how he was receiving some of these monies on the instruction of the defendant. How else is the prosecution supposed to prove this matter? The evidence before your lordship is clear,” he said.
He further urged the court to “discountenance the submission of the defence and convict the defendant,” insisting that the testimonies of witnesses and documentary exhibits tendered during the trial clearly linked the defendant to the alleged transactions.
Following the adoption of final written addresses by both parties, Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter until June 9, 2026, for judgment.
The scheduled date is expected to bring to a close the high-profile trial, which has drawn significant public attention due to the magnitude of the alleged sum involved and the status of the defendant as a former cabinet member.
Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that Justice Maryann Anineh of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja admitted additional documents into evidence against Mamman, in his ongoing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged fraud.
Mamman and seven co-defendants are facing a nine-count charge, including conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, and intent to defraud, involving the sum of ₦31,070,541,349.64 (Thirty-one billion, seventy million, five hundred forty-one thousand, three hundred forty-nine-naira, sixty-four kobo).
During the proceedings, the second prosecution witness (PW2), Leadu Kpandei, a female compliance officer with Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), testified under the guidance of EFCC counsel A.O. Mohammed.
She stated that in March 2025, the EFCC requested account details for Fullest Utility Concept Ltd, one of its customers.
In response, GTB provided a letter accompanied by the company’s account opening documents, identification certificate, and account statements, all extracted from the bank’s database.