From ministerial post to conviction: Saleh Maman's fall into the money laundering trap
Former Nigerian energy minister charged in cases
Written by: Mohammed Omran
A federal high court in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, convicted former energy minister Saleh Maman of money laundering charges, in a case brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Former Nigerian Energy Minister Convicted
A federal high court in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, has charged former energy minister Saleh Maman with 12 counts of money laundering. .
Judge James Omotocho explained that the prosecution was able to prove 12 charges that revealed involvement in money laundering beyond a reasonable doubt, leading the court to issue a guilty verdict against former minister Saleh Maman.
Former Nigerian Energy Minister Saleh Maman charged in money laundering cases
It is worth noting that Maman served as Nigeria’s Minister of Energy during the rule of former President Muhammadu Buhari between August 2019 and September 2021, before being dismissed as part of a cabinet reshuffle.
Chinese fugitive arrested in Nigeria
In a separate development, Nigerian police arrested Xu Ching, a Chinese fugitive, before extraditing him to his country to face charges related to an alleged Ponzi scheme involving the widespread illegal absorption of public deposits.
Nigerian police forces announced in a statement that the arrest and repatriation operation was carried out through the Interpol National Central Bureau in Abuja.
Public relations officer Anthony Placide explained that the action followed a formal request from Chinese authorities, who announced that the suspect was wanted in Beijing on charges of alleged fraud amounting to more than $245 million.
He noted that investigations revealed that the suspect fled from China to Nigeria on November 5, 2024, in an attempt to evade arrest, after which an arrest warrant was issued against him on November 12, 2025, by the Shenan Sub-Office of the Qingdao Public Security Bureau.
Three officers killed in Nigeria
In a separate incident, three officers were killed and two others were injured in an attack by gunmen on a camp belonging to the Mobile Police Force (PMF) in the Tenebo area of Kayama Local Government, Kwara State, Nigeria.
Local sources said the attackers succeeded in storming the site in large numbers, some of them riding motorcycles.
