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Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered the transfer of former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, to the Kuje Correctional Centre to begin serving his 75-year prison sentence for corruption.

The directive followed his presentation in court on Tuesday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which also filed an application seeking the forfeiture of five additional properties linked to the convict.

During proceedings, the court was informed that Mamman fled Abuja to Kaduna shortly after his sentencing earlier in May, allegedly due to ill health. A relative, who assisted him, told the court he was unaware of the ownership of the apartment where the former minister was hiding.

Justice Omotosho ruled that Mamman’s sentence takes immediate effect, noting that he had been present in Abuja when judgment was delivered but absconded afterward.

The EFCC, through its Director of Public Prosecution, Rotimi Oyedepo, requested a consequential order for the forfeiture of properties in Abuja and Kaduna allegedly acquired with illicit funds.

However, the court adjourned the forfeiture application to June 8, 2026, to allow Mamman secure legal representation and respond to the claims, after his counsel failed to appear in court.

Mamman was convicted on May 7, 2026, on a 16-count charge bordering on money laundering amounting to over ₦33.8bn. He was subsequently sentenced to a cumulative 75 years imprisonment.

The court had earlier issued a warrant for his arrest over repeated absence from proceedings. EFCC operatives later apprehended him on May 19 in Rigasa, Kaduna State, following intelligence-led operations.

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Justice Christopher, a Nigerian activist popularly known as JusticeCrack, says Peter Obi worked behind the scenes to secure his release while he was in detention by the Department of State Services (DSS).

In a post shared on social media on Monday, the activist said he attended the aspirants’ dinner organised by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) after appearing in court on May 25.

He noted that Obi, a former governor of Anambra state, who described as his political principal, joined the NDC while he was still in DSS custody.

“While I was in detention, many people believed that Peter Obi had abandoned me, but what many did not know was that he was working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that I regained my freedom and that my wife and children were okay.

“At the same time, many Nigerians also stood up for me, spoke out, prayed, and demanded my release. For that, I will forever remain grateful.

“Today, more than ever, I am proud to call myself a Nigerian, and I still strongly believe that a new Nigeria is indeed possible and Nigeria will definitely be okay,” he stated.

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Former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has dismissed a viral report claiming that he won 45 million votes in a purported presidential primary election of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

The claim, which circulated on social media and some online platforms, alleged that the former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate emerged as the winner of an NDC primary.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by the spokesperson of the Peter Obi Media Office, Ibrahim Umar, the office said no such primary election was held.

It added that no results or figures were generated from any such process.

“The attention of the Peter Obi Media Office has been drawn to certain 45 million primary vote figures currently circulating on social media and various news platforms, purporting to be the breakdown of official results from an imaginary primary by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), ascribed to Mr Peter Obi,” the statement read.

The media office said the figures being circulated were “entirely false” and had no basis in reality.

It urged members of the public, supporters and media organisations to disregard the report.

The statement stressed that official information regarding Obi’s political engagements would only be released through verified and authorised communication channels.

The media office also accused those behind the publication of attempting to misrepresent Obi and link him to fraudulent narratives.

It said the former Anambra State governor should not be associated with any report concerning a primary election that never took place.