Business
Court Jails Saleh Mamman 75 years for N33.8billion Fraud
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday, sentenced a former Minister of power, Saleh Mamman to 75 years imprisonment for money laundering charges.
Mamman, who was absent in court, was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for money laundering to the tune of N33,804,830,503,73( Thirty Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Four Million, Eight Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Five Hundred and Three Naira, Seventy Three kobo).
Justice Omotosho convicted him last week on all the 12-count charges preferred against him by the EFCC but deferred his sentence to Wednesday.
Count one of the charges reads:
“That you, SALEH MAMIVIAN {Male), sometime in 2019, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Court, whilst you were the Minister of Power conspired with other officials of your Ministry and some private companies to indirectly convert the total sum of =N=33,804,830,503.73
{Thirty-Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Four Million, Eight Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Five Hundred and Three Naira, and Seventy-Three Kobo) through various private companies which sums you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of unlawful activity, to wit: criminal breach of trust in relation to the funds released for the Mambilla and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant Projects by the Federal Government of Nigeria; and you thereby commit an offence contrary to Sections 18(a), 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 {as Amended), and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”
Count two reads:
“That you, SALEH MAMMAN (Male), sometime in December 2019, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Court, conspired with SAMSON BITRUS to make a cash payment of US$665, 700:00 (Six Hundred and Sixty-Five Thousand and Seven Hundred United States Dollars) to MOHIBA INVESTMENT LTD (acting through Mohammed Asheik Jidda), without going through a financial institution, and that you thereby commit an offence contrary to Sections 1 and 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as Amended), and punishable under Section 16(2)(b) of the same Act.”
At Wednesday proceedings, Prosecution Counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo,SAN informed the court that the convict again was not in court and no reasonable excuse was given from his lawyers about his whereabouts. He urged the court to continue with the sentencing in his absence citing Section 266 and 352 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 which provides guidelines for such an occasion.
Oyedepo also urged the court to order the forfeiture of properties traced to the convict to the Federal Government. The properties are, two units of four- bedroom detached apartments located at 93 Ahmed Joda Crescent, Kado Estate, Abuja and a property located at No 12A & B, Lingo Street, Wuse, Abuja.
Also, Oyedepo, who is also the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, urged the court to order the forfeiture of cash recovered from Mamman’s house: $13,890, €19,960, £10,000 , 42,390 Doran, R35,000, ₹50,60,00 and 247 Saudi Arabia Riyadth . He also urged the court to direct that the convict refund the difference of the amount recovered and the amount remaining in the N22bn for which he was found guilty.
Delivering judgment, Justice Omotosho sentenced Mamman to 75years imprisonment: seven years each on counts 1,2,3,6,7,8,9,10,11& 12 without an option of fine, three years on count 4 with an option of fine of N10m and two years on count 5 without an option of fine. The sentence will run consecutively from the date of his arrest.
Justice Omotosho ordered all national and international security agencies to arrest and handover the convict to the Nigerian Correctional center.
The post Court Jails Saleh Mamman 75 years for N33.8billion Fraud appeared first on Business Today NG.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has reiterated its commitment to activating multiple pathways to transform Nigeria into a global gas hub.
According to a statement issued by NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, the company’s Executive Vice President, Gas, Power & New Energy, Olalekan Ogunleye, disclosed this while speaking at the 2026 Gas Technology & Exhibition Conference (GASTECH) in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday.
Mr Ogunleye spoke during a panel session themed, “The New LNG Order: Leadership Strategies for Energy Security and Growth.”
He said Nigeria was leveraging its more than 215 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of proven gas reserves to drive domestic industrialisation and expand its export market as geopolitical tensions, conflicts and other factors continue to affect global energy supply and demand.
“Gas development and monetisation from Nigeria’s standpoint is a purely commercial play. NNPC Ltd. is implementing a Gas Master Plan (GMP) engineered as a gap-to-potential tool to move Nigeria from a 215tcf reserves position to above 600tcf,” Mr Ogunleye said.
Gas production targets
According to the statement, Mr Ogunleye said NNPC’s strategy is anchored on stronger coordination under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), the Decade of Gas Framework and the Gas Master Plan.
He said the near-term targets are to increase Nigeria’s national gas production to 10 billion standard cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) by 2027 and 12 Bcf/d by 2030.
In January, NNPC unveiled its Gas Master Plan (GMP) 2026, aimed at driving industrialisation and strengthening Nigeria’s energy security.
At the launch, NNPC’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, said Nigeria had about 210 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of proven gas reserves, with an upside potential of up to 600 Tcf.
He described the resource base as one of the world’s most significant hydrocarbon endowments, saying its development was supported by the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 and the Federal Government’s gas-focused energy transition agenda.
Mr Ojulari said the plan was designed to exceed the presidential mandate of raising national gas production to 10 Bcf/d by 2027 and 12 Bcf/d by 2030.
According to him, the plan is expected to catalyse more than $60 billion in investments across the oil and gas value chain by 2030.
He said the plan prioritises cost optimisation, operational excellence and the systematic conversion of gas resources from 3P to bankable 2P reserves.
The plan also seeks to strengthen gas supply to power generation, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Mini-LNG and other critical industrial off-takers.
Mr Ojulari said NNPC adopted a collaborative and investor-centric approach in developing the GMP 2026, with input from industry stakeholders, partners and investors.
LNG expansion
At GASTECH, Mr Ogunleye said Nigeria was already a reliable global gas supplier and was pursuing a major expansion of its LNG capacity.
He cited the Nigeria LNG project’s Trains 1-6, which have a combined production capacity of 22 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) and have exported more than 6,000 LNG cargoes since 1999.
He also cited Train 7, which is scheduled for completion in 2027, as part of the country’s ongoing LNG expansion.
READ ALSO: Audit Reports: Reps panel vows to make NNPC, oil marketers account for ₦432bn debt
Mr Ogunleye said Nigeria’s geographical position, which gives it access to both the Atlantic Basin and Asian markets, further strengthens its position as a strategic global gas supplier.
He said this advantage, combined with the country’s substantial gas reserves and renewed national focus on gas development, provides a strong basis for expanding the industry.
According to him, domestic gas utilisation and exports are not mutually exclusive, as Nigeria is pursuing a dual pathway that uses exports to generate foreign exchange while expanding domestic gas use to create jobs, strengthen energy security and improve economic wellbeing.
Mr Ogunleye said Nigeria had also de-risked new LNG projects through a robust legal and regulatory framework backed by attractive fiscal incentives.
“With continued efforts towards stable security, competitive gas pricing and assured gas supply, there is no better time for investors and financiers to participate in the development of Nigeria’s LNG projects confidently,” he said.
GASTECH is a major global conference and exhibition focused on natural gas, LNG, hydrogen and low-carbon solutions.
The 54th edition brings together about 50,000 participants from more than 150 countries, including energy experts, chief executives, policymakers, investors and technology leaders, to discuss energy security, LNG supply, infrastructure investment and decarbonisation.
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Nigerian stocks slid by 1.6 per cent last week, following profit-taking activities across all sectors except oil & gas.
The Insurance Index was worst hit, declining by 5.5 per cent, and remains the only sector index so far this year with a negative yield.
“Stocks with strong earnings, attractive valuations and consistent dividend payouts should also remain in focus,” investment bank United Capital Plc said in a note to investors ahead of the week.
This week, focus will shift to the primary market, where the landmark $1.6 billion initial public offering of Dangote Refinery will be commencing.
PREMIUM TIMES has assembled some stocks with sound fundamentals, adopting rigorous approaches to save you the risk of picking equities at random for investment.
The pick, a product of an analytical market watch, offers a guide to entering the market and taking strategic positions, with the expectation that selected stocks will record reasonable price appreciation with the passage of time.
This is not a buy, sell or hold recommendation but a stock investment guide. You may need to involve your financial advisor before taking investment decisions.
Transnational Corporation (Transcorp)
Transcorp tops this week’s list for its strong fundamentals and for trading below its intrinsic value. The net profit ratio (NPR) of the conglomerate is 24.7, while the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio is 4.5x. Its 10-day relative strength index (RSI) is 31.5.
AXA Mansard
AXA Mansard appears on the pick on the basis of its attractive fundamentals. The NPR of the insurer is 3.4, while the PE ratio is 29.8x, while the RSI is 47.3.
Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO)
GTCO makes the selection for its strong fundamentals and for trading below its intrinsic value. The banking group’s NPR is 37.4, while the PE ratio is 5.4x. Its RSI is 47.8.
ALSO READ: Stanbic IBTC, Mutual Benefits, Aradel top stock picks this week
NPF Microfinance Bank
NPF Microfinance Bank makes the cut for its sound fundamentals. The PE ratio of the micro-lender is 7.2x, while the RSI is 22.5.
Neimeth
Neimeth makes the cut for its sound fundamentals. The NPR of the pharmaceutical company is 12.2, while the PE ratio is 33.2x. The RSI is 40.8.
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