Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to transfer the former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, to the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Kuje to begin serving his 75-year prison sentence.

The order, issued on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, followed Mamman’s return to court after a dramatic escape and rearrest, alongside an EFCC application seeking the permanent forfeiture of five additional multi-million naira properties uncovered during ongoing investigations.

Mamman, who served as power minister from August 2019 to September 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, was initially convicted on May 7, 2026, and sentenced on May 13, 2026, to a cumulative 75 years in prison. The landmark judgment followed a rigorous prosecution by the EFCC on an amended 12-count charge involving money laundering, criminal conspiracy, and the massive embezzlement of ₦33.8 billion earmarked for the flagship Mambilla and Zungeru hydroelectric power developments.

Justice Omotosho ordered the sentences to run consecutively (seven years each for 10 counts, with an additional three and two years for counts four and five, respectively) without the option of a fine, making it the stiffest custodial sentence ever handed to a former cabinet minister in Nigeria’s history.

However, Mamman absconded and failed to appear for both his conviction and sentencing, prompting the court to issue an immediate arrest warrant. Following intensive surveillance, EFCC operatives tracked the fugitive to a rented hideout in the Rigasa area of Kaduna State, arresting him at approximately 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.

During the Tuesday court proceedings, a relative identified as Shamsudeen Mohammed, who was arrested alongside the ex-minister, confessed to the court that Mamman was within Abuja during his sentencing but secretly fled to Kaduna via a commercial taxi under the guise of seeking traditional medical treatment.

Alongside his physical transfer to Kuje prison, prosecution counsel and Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), presented a Consequential Order dated May 25, 2026, seeking the immediate forfeiture of five newly discovered properties linked to the convict. These assets are independent of the four luxury Abuja properties and recovered foreign currencies already permanently forfeited to the federal government during the initial judgment. One of the newly identified properties includes a commercial plaza located on Plot 734 Kade Street, Wuse 2, Abuja.

When questioned by Justice Omotosho regarding the absence of his legal team, Mamman stated that he had been unable to contact his lawyers since being taken into EFCC custody on May 19. In the interest of a fair hearing, Justice Omotosho ruled that the convict must be given an adequate window to defend himself against the new asset seizures. The judge ordered that the forfeiture application be served directly to Mamman in Kuje prison to allow him to secure legal representation of his choice, subsequently adjourning further hearings on the asset forfeiture to June 8, 2026. Justice Omotosho firmly reminded the convict that his 75-year prison sentence officially commenced on the day of his rearrest.