Former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, suffered a health emergency outside the courtroom on Thursday at a Federal High Court in Abuja.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Mamman, whose plea was scheduled for Thursday morning, collapsed outside the courtroom before his case was called.
The former minister’s counsel, Femi Ate, SAN, informed Justice James Omotosho shortly when Mamman was called to enter his plea.
Upon resumed hearing, the ex-minister walked into the courtroom and stepped into the dock with part of his clothes drenched.
Justice Omotosho then inquired whether Mamman was sweating or if it had been raining outside.
Responding from the dock, the former minister stated that water had been poured on him.
During his address to the court, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, noted that while Mamman’s arraignment was scheduled, there had been a development outside the courtroom.
Olumide-Fusika stated that he had a discussion with Ate outside the courtroom regarding Mamman’s ill-health.
“I was informed of an incident outside. I will want my learner senior advocate to tell the honourable court himself,” he said.
Speaking, Ate said Mamman, “upon being brought into the premises of the court collapsed and had to be resuscitated and treated by the medical personnel of the Federal High Court.”
He said his client was served with the charge after he was resuscitated.
“He was served this morning,” he added.
The senior lawyer mentioned that he sought Olumide-Fusika’s understanding for an adjournment so that the arraignment could be rescheduled to Monday, by which time his client would have recovered.
However, the judge stated that due to the heavy workload in the court’s schedule, the arraignment could only be scheduled for the end of September.
Ate then withdrew the oral application for an adjournment.
Olumide-Fusika explained that he had filed an amended charge earlier that morning due to an error in the defendant’s name. He requested the court to read the fresh charge to Mamman so he could enter his plea, but Justice Omotosho disagreed with this request.
The judge, however, asked Mamman if he was fit enough to take his plea today and he responded in affirmative.
The former minister explained to the court that he collapsed outside the courtroom due to the medication he had taken on an empty stomach. While he was waiting to be called, his blood pressure dropped.
Mamman, however, said he was fit to continue with the arraignment.
“It can happen to anyone,” the judge said.
The ex-minister informed the court that he had brought to his lawyer’s attention the error made by the EFCC regarding the name in the charge served on him.
“I was complaining about the name, that it was not my own,” he said.
Justice Omotosho then stepped down the arraignment until 1pm today.
NAN reports that the EFCC had filed a 12-count money laundering charge against Mamman.
He was alleged to have committed money laundering offences to the tune of N33 billion.
The former minister served under former President Buhari from 2019 to 2021.
On May 10, 2021, he was arrested and detained at the headquarters of the anti-graft agency in Abuja.
Buhari had on September 1, 2021, sacked Mamman and the then Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, in what was called a cabinet restructuring.
Mamman was accused of conspiring with ministry staff responsible for the accounts of the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydro Electric Power projects to divert approximately N22 billion.
The investigations uncovered properties in Nigeria and overseas allegedly linked to the suspects, while millions of naira and dollars had reportedly been recovered.
