Former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, collapsed outside the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday due to ill health. He was there to face a 12-count charge of money laundering amounting to N33.8 billion, brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Mamman collapsed outside the courtroom before proceedings began. His lawyer, Femi Ate, informed the judge, James Omotosho, about Mamman’s condition. When the hearing resumed, Mamman appeared in the courtroom with his clothes partially drenched and explained that water had been poured on him to revive him after he fainted. He attributed his collapse to taking medication on an empty stomach, which caused his blood pressure to drop.
Despite his condition, Mamman declared he was fit to proceed with the arraignment. The judge asked if Mamman was ready to take his plea, to which he responded affirmatively. Mamman’s counsel initially sought an adjournment due to his client’s health, but the judge stated that the arraignment could only be rescheduled for September due to the court’s workload. Consequently, the request for adjournment was withdrawn.
The EFCC’s amended charges were due to an error in Mamman’s name. Mamman and his co-defendants are accused of conspiring to divert funds meant for the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydro Electric Power projects. The former minister, who served from 2019 to 2021 under President Muhammadu Buhari, was arrested in May 2023 for these alleged offenses.
The arraignment has been postponed to 1 pm on the same day to address the errors in the charge documents.
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