On Monday, May 11, 2026, the FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja, revoked the bail and issued a bench warrant for the arrest of convicted former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, after he failed to appear for his ongoing N31 billion fraud trial.
This marks the second arrest warrant issued against Mr. Mamman within a week, following his May 7 conviction by a separate federal court over an independent N33.8 billion money laundering case.
His unexplained absence alongside seven co-defendants forced presiding judge Maryann Anenih to postpone the multi-billion naira conspiracy and fraud trial until Thursday, May 14, 2026 , while ruling that future proceedings will continue in the former minister’s absence...READ FULL STORY; FROM THE SOURCE.
Mr Mamman was unceremoniously removed by then-President Muhammadu Buhari after his about two-year stint in office, from August 2019 to September 2021.
Judge Anenih ordered Mr Mamman’s arrest on Monday, after the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo, requested an order for his arrest and the continuation of the trial despite his absence.
“Application granted to proceed without the first defendant and application for bench warrant granted,” the judge ruled.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged Mr Mamman alongside seven others on nine counts of conspiracy, false pretence and intent to defraud to the tune of N31 billion.
His co-defendants are Mustapha Abubakar Bida, Joseph Omotayo Adewunmi, Ben Nsikak, Stephen Ojo, Oladipo Adebowale, Michael Achua and Ogunjobi Olusila.
On 16 October 2025, the EFCC arraigned the defendants before the court, and they all denied the allegations.
All the defendants, except Mr Mamman, were in court on Monday.
This represents the second major multi-billion naira corruption case involving the embattled former Minister of PowerSaleh Mamman. Both high-profile trials, prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) , center on the systematic diversion of public funds earmarked for critical national infrastructure. On Thursday, May 7, 2026, the Federal High Court in Abuja convicted him on all 12 counts of a separate N33.8 billion money laundering case , which involved the embezzlement of federal funds meant for the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric power projects.
The former minister’s ongoing absence from court on the day of his conviction prompted trial judge Justice James Omotosho to issue a bench warrant for his immediate arrest , postponing his sentencing until Wednesday, May 13, 2026. In a bid to stall the legal consequences, Mr. Mamman’s defense team attempted to justify his absence by claiming he was suffering from ill health. However, the medical excuse failed to sway the prosecution and the judge, who dismissed the claims as a bad-faith attempt to delay the judgment and ordered that he must be apprehended and produced in court on Wednesday for final sentencing .
During the FCT High Court proceedings on Monday, May 11, 2026, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, informed presiding judge Justice Maryann Anenih that the bench warrant issued four days prior by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court remained unexecuted. The prosecution emphasized that law enforcement agencies were still actively trailing the missing ex-minister following his sudden disappearance from public view. In response to the update, Justice Anenih turned to the defense team, demanding a formal explanation from Mr. Mamman’s lead counsel, Femi Atteh, SAN, regarding his client’s failure to appear for the N31 billion fraud trial.
The defense attorney openly admitted his lack of knowledge regarding the convict’s current location, shifting the burden of appearance back onto the federal government. Mr. Atteh argued that since the prosecution had previously declared the former minister “the property of the state” following last week’s arrest order, it was now the statutory duty of the state and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to produce him in court. Unmoved by the defense’s arguments, Justice Anenih officially revoked Mr. Mamman’s bail, ordered his immediate arrest, and adjourned the multi-billion naira conspiracy trial until Thursday, May 14, 2026, explicitly ruling that proceedings would continue in his absence if he remained at large.
This unfolding legal drama stems directly from the landmark judgment delivered on Thursday, May 7, 2026, where the Federal High Court convicted the former power minister on a 12-count amended charge . That separate, multi-year money laundering investigation proved that Mr. Mamman successfully masterminded the criminal diversion of N33.8 billion. The stolen public funds had been specifically earmarked by the Federal Government of Nigeria for the development of the critical Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric power projects before being illicitly laundered through various fronts.
