Mamman is now challenging the credibility of several statements made to the EFCC, citing violations of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015. Under sections 15 and 17 of the Act, extra-judicial statements must be video-recorded and made in the presence of a legal representative—standards that Mamman claims were not upheld.
By Abdulrahman Aliagan, Abuja
In a dramatic turn of events at the Federal High Court in Abuja, former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, is seeking to prove that his confessional statements to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were made under medical duress, casting fresh doubts over the voluntary nature of his submissions during investigation.
At the heart of the legal drama is a medical report dated January 16, 2024, which was admitted into evidence during a trial-within-trial session. Mamman’s counsel, the distinguished Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Atteh, tendered the report to establish that the former minister was not in the right state of health or mind to make coherent statements during the EFCC interrogation, especially as it relates to the high-profile probe into alleged mismanagement of funds earmarked for the Mambilla Hydropower Project.
Earlier, Justice James Omotosho overruled EFCC’s objection to the replay of a crucial video clip. The clip, captured during one of the interrogations, shows Mamman visibly distressed and informing investigators about his failing health. In it, the former minister is seen submitting his medical report to EFCC operative, Abubakar Kwaido, before he was reportedly compelled to proceed with writing his statement.
Following the court’s ruling, the video was re-played in open court, further strengthening the defence’s argument that Mamman was medically unfit and that the statements he gave should be considered compromised.
During cross-examination, defence counsel Atteh grilled EFCC’s witness, Kwaido, on whether it was standard investigative practice to compel a physically unwell suspect to write a statement. Kwaido admitted that it was not.
Mamman is now challenging the credibility of several statements made to the EFCC, citing violations of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015. Under sections 15 and 17 of the Act, extra-judicial statements must be video-recorded and made in the presence of a legal representative—standards that Mamman claims were not upheld.
Atteh pointedly referenced statements made on May 10, 11, 12, 15, and 17, as well as August 3 and 9, 2023, alleging they were obtained without legal representation. The most striking revelation came from Mamman’s statement dated February 20, 2024, in which he wrote: “I instructed my lawyer to write my statement on my behalf as a result of my ill health. I have submitted a medical report to that effect.”
When asked if earlier statements contained such legal instructions, the EFCC witness admitted they did not.
With the prosecution now closing its case in the trial-within-trial, all eyes are on Mamman as he prepares to open his defence at the next adjourned date. The unfolding legal battle is not just about allegations of financial impropriety—it is becoming a test case on the rights of the accused under Nigerian law, especially those battling health crises while under investigation.
As the trial progresses, the stakes remain high—not only for Mamman, but for the integrity of Nigeria’s justice system.
