An Abuja High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, following his persistent failure to appear for his trial.
On Monday, Justice Maryann Anineh revoked Mamman’s bail and ordered his immediate apprehension, citing his repeated absence from court proceedings as a lack of justification for his whereabouts.
The former minister is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside seven other defendants.
They face a nine-count charge involving conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretense, and the alleged diversion of approximately N31 billion.
During the session, EFCC lead counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, argued that the defendant’s absence was a deliberate attempt to stall the legal process, noting that Mamman had failed to show up even after a separate conviction at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Arguments between the legal teams grew tense when the defense counsel, Femi Atteh, suggested it was the prosecution’s responsibility to produce the defendant since a bench warrant had already been issued by another court.
Oyedepo countered this, maintaining that it was not his duty to track or inform the court of the first defendant’s location. Ultimately, Justice Anineh sided with the prosecution, ruling that Mamman’s bail stood revoked due to his unjustified absence.
Looking ahead, the court held that the trial would proceed in Mamman’s absence, citing relevant provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, which allows proceedings to continue when a defendant willfully absconds.
The case has been adjourned to May 14 for the continuation of trial proceedings, as authorities now move to execute the warrant for the former minister’s arrest.
