Who gets convicted in Nigeria's anti-corruption war?

Saleh Mamman, a former Nigerian minister of power, was arrested in Kaduna after being sentenced in absentia to 75 years in prison for laundering 33.8 billion naira. Prosecutors said the money was proceeds of unlawful activity linked to government-financed hydroelectric projects, including the Mambilla and Zungeru power plants. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said Mamman had been in hiding since his May 7 conviction and was taken into custody. A judge also ordered him to repay 22 billion naira to the state. Other former officials have received long prison terms for money laundering and corruption, while questions remain about accountability. Many corruption cases stall for years, and a review found only 144 of 393 cases reached final judgment, leaving more than 60% pending.

"Saleh Mamman, a former Nigerian minister of power was arrested on Tuesday, days after he was sentenced in absentia to 75 years in prison for laundering 33.8 billion naira ($24.6 million), in what was widely described as a rare high-profile conviction. Prosecutors said the funds were proceeds of unlawful activity linked to government-financed hydroelectric projects, including Nigeria's Mambilla and Zungerupower plants. Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chief Ola Olukoyede said that Mamman, who had been in hiding since his May 7 conviction, was arrested in the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna and was now in custody."

"The judge also ordered him to pay back an outstanding sum of 22 billion naira to the state. Do convictions signal real accountability? Weeks earlier, former acting accountant-general Chukwunyere Nwabuoku was handed a 72-year prison sentence after being convicted of money laundering. They joined a growing list of former public officials prosecuted over corruption allegations running into billions of naira."

"Corruption cases against public officials in Nigeria often stall in the courts, sometimes taking years or even decades to conclude. According to a review of 393 corruption cases between 2013 and 2026 by Dataphyte, a research organization, only 144 have reached final judgment, leaving more than 60% still pending at various stages of trial. These cases, spanning 14 years, are linked to 3.61 trillion naira, $1.33 billion, and 26,170 in alleged corruption."

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