Supporters of former Minister of Power, Engineer Sale Mamman, have raised concerns that the N33.8 billion money laundering allegations against him may be politically motivated.
In a statement released in Jalingo, Taraba State, on Friday and signed by Jacob Sunkani, the group argued that recent developments in the trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja suggest Mamman could be exonerated.
They pointed to testimony from a key prosecution witness, Abdullahi Suleiman, a Bureau de Change operator, which they claim complicates the case against the former minister.
During cross-examination by Mamman’s defense counsel, Femi Ate (SAN), Suleiman, according to the supporters, admitted that his companies received payments both before and after Mamman’s tenure.
Documents presented in court, they said, “showed that funds were transferred to various entities, including Fullest Utility Concept, Platinum Touch Enterprise Ltd, and Silver Line Ocean Ventures, between 2018 and 2022, some of which, they claimed, occurred after Mamman left office on September 1, 2021.
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“Suleiman further disclosed that he returned some funds, including N217 million and an undisclosed sum in U.S. dollars, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He stated that he had been informed by a third party, Maina Goje, that the EFCC was the intended recipient of the funds.”
Under re-examination by EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), Suleiman admitted that the agency told him the payments originated from the Ministry of Power. However, he acknowledged that transaction descriptions did not explicitly link the funds to the ministry, instead referencing generic terms such as “federal MI being payment for office consumer.”
Further raising doubts, Suleiman denied knowing Engineer Sale Mamman personally or having any direct dealings with him. When questioned on how he associated the funds with Mamman, he stated that the EFCC had told him so.
Additionally, when confronted with the fact that some payments were made after Mamman left office, Suleiman admitted that he had handed over the money to the EFCC,” the statement read.
The group, noting that the revelations have fueled skepticism, particularly in Taraba State, argued that the funds in question were originally lodged at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by individuals who may have sought to scapegoat the Ministry of Power.
The supporters insist that if credible evidence exists against Mamman, it should be presented transparently rather than relying on what they describe as “speculative allegations.”
They also called for a more thorough investigation to uncover the real culprits behind the financial transactions.
