Former Minister of Power Collapses Outside Court, Delaying Arraignment.

On Thursday, Mr. Saleh Mamman, the former Minister of Power under former President Muhammadu Buhari, fainted outside the Federal High Court in Abuja, delaying his arraignment. Prior to the case being called, Mamman, whose plea was scheduled for Thursday morning, fell apart.

According to NAN, Femi Ate, SAN, the former minister's attorney, informed Judge James Omotosho as soon as Mamman was called to present his case. The former minister entered the dock and entered the courtroom as the hearing was about to resume, some of his garments soaked.

Judge Omotosho then inquired as to whether it was raining outdoors and whether Mamman was perspiring. Responding from the dock, the former minister claimed that water had been thrown on him.

Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, the attorney for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), addressed the court during her speech and stated that although Mamman's arraignment was scheduled, there had been a development outside of the courtroom. Olumide-Fusika claimed to have discussed Mamman's poor health with Ate outside of the courtroom. “I was informed of an incident outside. I will want my learned senior advocate to tell the honourable court himself,” he said.

Also, Ate said Mamman, “upon being brought into the premises of the court, he collapsed and had to be resuscitated and treated by the medical personnel of the Federal High Court.” He claimed that after being revived, his client received service of the charge. He said, "He was served this morning."

The senior attorney stated that he asked Olumide-Fusika's permission for a postponement so that the arraignment could take place on Monday when his client would have been in good health. However, the judge stated that the arraignment could only be scheduled for September's end because of the volume of cases on the court dockets. Ate subsequently withdrew her request for an adjournment orally.

Olumide-Fusika explained that he had just filed an amended charge earlier in the morning due to an error in the defendant's name. He asked the court to read the new charge to Mamman so that he may enter a plea, but Justice Omotosho disapproved. But when the court asked Mamman if he was well enough to enter a plea today, he answered in the positive.

The former minister told the court that his blood pressure dropped while he was waiting to be summoned and that the drugs he took while he hadn't eaten were the reason he collapsed outside the courtroom. But Mamman declared he was well enough to proceed with the arraignment. "Anyone can experience it," the judge declared.

The former minister informed the court that he had alerted his attorney to the mistake the EFCC had made regarding the name on the indictment filed against him. “I was complaining about the name, that it was not my own,” he said. The arraignment was then postponed till 1 pm today by Justice Omotosho.