“I Benefitted”: Saleh Mamman’s Recorded Confession Played In Court During EFCC Trial
The trial of former Power Minister Saleh Mamman pressed on Thursday, April 10, at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Justice James Omotosho oversaw the case as the prosecution shared fresh evidence in a trial-within-trial.
This step aims to prove Mamman’s extra-judicial statements to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were given freely, despite his claim of duress.
Mamman faces a 12-count charge from the EFCC tied to the Mambilla Power Project. It accuses him of conspiring to launder ₦33,804,830,503.73 (Thirty-Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Four Million, Eight Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Five Hundred and Three Naira, Seventy-Three Kobo).
Prosecution counsel Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, led EFCC investigator Abubakar Muhammed Kwaido in evidence. Kwaido insisted Mamman wasn’t forced. “There was at no point I harassed or intimidated him with detention. My boss was even asking him if he could write, but he said he would ask his lawyer to write on his behalf,” he said.
A video of Mamman’s statement, played in court, showed a relaxed setting. He explained avoiding bank transfers for an Abuja property to stay discreet as a civil servant. “Honestly, I gave him ₦5 million about three times. I didn’t transfer or put it in his account. I gave him cash. Why I didn’t do a transfer was because I am a civil servant and I have left my business and some of my things, so I have been very careful,” he said.
He linked the payments to Abubakar Mustapha Bida, the Mambilla Project Accountant, for a house in Kado. “After the payment, he then gave me the house, that is why I didn’t bring up that issue. Then I accepted the house at Kado,” he added.
Mamman also mentioned discussing it with a man named Sam. “I said to Sam that there’s a house in Kado, but I have to collect the documents of the house. That’s why I told you that there’s no issue between me and him,” he said.
In the clip, Mamman described buying another house in Wuse with a friend from the House of Representatives, who used a different name for it. “We went together and bought the house in Wuse. It was me and my friend that joined and bought the house, but he gave another person’s name instead of his. Now I’m even struggling to get the papers for the house,” he said.
He added, “We bought the house from ₦30 to ₦35 million and we agreed I will be giving him the money in tranches. Things became somehow and I then left the office. He didn’t give me the papers and that’s how I left office.”
Mamman repeatedly called Bida dishonest in the video. “Mustapha is a liar. It was his PA that did all these things,” he said, naming Musbahu Idris. Still, he admitted gaining from it. “Whether I like it or not, I benefitted, because my people have benefited from the money. That was why I was all involved in it,” he said.
He also confirmed asking his lawyer to write for him due to health issues. “Honestly I can’t write, I’m not too strong, but as you can see, I’m about to take my medication. That’s why I spoke to him to write because I don’t want to stress myself. The doctors warned me not to stress myself. I was advised by my lawyer to come so that it will all be easy,” he told Kwaido.
Justice Omotosho adjourned the case to Monday, 14 April 2025, for the trial to continue.
