The Attorney-General of the Federation’s office on Wednesday arraigned former Minister of Aviation Stella Oduah on N2.5 billion fraud charges.
She was arraigned before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja alongside Gloria Odita, with whom the former minister faces another pending N5 billion money laundering trial before another court.
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Wednesday’s charges alleged that the two defendants committed the offence in January 2014, just about a month before Ms Oduah was forced out of office over a procurement scandal.
Ms Oduah served as Minister of Aviation from 2 July 2011 to 12 February 2014 during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. She also represented Anambra North Senatorial twice, in 2015 and 2019.
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The five charges filed against her and her co-defendant accused them of fraudulently obtaining N2.5 billion disguised as cost of technical supervision and security from the Ministry of Aviation.
One the counts alleged that defendants obtained “the whopping sum” N2.5 billion (N2,469,030,738.9) from the federal aviation ministry “through Broad Waters Resource Nigeria Limited and Global Offshore Marine Limited by false pretence”.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants knew that representing the money as “cost of technical supervision and security integrated and logistics support services” was false.
The charge said the offence was contrary to sections 8(a) and 1(1)(a) of The Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
The duo pleaded not guilty to all the charges after they were read to them.
Bail
Thereafter, Ms Oduah’s lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), applied for her bail conditions, contending that the defendant is a well-known figure.
Similarly, Ms Odita’s lawyer, Wale Balogun, also a SAN, urged the court to grant his client bail.
Mr Balogun informed the judge that the defendants had complied with the bail conditions in a sister case before the Federal High Court in Abuja where all travel documents were deposited.
The prosecution team, personally led by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, also a SAN, did not oppose the motion for their bail but asked the court to set a definite date.
He said he would rather request a date for trial to commence, while he called on the judge to compel the defendants to submit their travel documents.
The trial judge, Hamza Muazu, granted bail to the defendants on self-recognition and instructed that their travel documents be submitted to the court.
Ms Oduah’s counsel subsequently requested her travel documents.
The judge expressed readiness to grant the request if the defendant applied for permission to travel. But he also indicated that granting the request will be subject to presentation of her case to the satisfaction of the court.
He therefore adjourned the case to 12 and 13 February 2026 for the commencement of the trial.
Ex-minister faces another trial
Ms Oduah is facing separate N5 billion fraud charges alongside Ms Odita, Chinese construction giant CCECC, and others, before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Others named in the case as defendants are Nwosu Nnamdi and Chukwuma Irene Chinyere, Global Offshore and Marine Ltd, Tip Top Global Resources Ltd, Crystal Television Ltd and Sobora International Ltd.
Although the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed the case with 25 counts on 17 December 2020, the arraignment did not take place until 21 July 2023, due to dilatory tactics stalling proceedings.
The trial, which started before a judge, Inyang Ekwo, who is now serving a one-year suspension by the National Judicial Council (NJC), has made little progress since the arraignment.
This newspaper reported that the 25 counts in the case centred on allegations that the defendants committed money laundering involving about N5 billion (N5,052,415,984) between February and June 2014.
The indictment also includes conspiracy to commit money laundering, transferring, taking control and taking possession of proceeds of fraud, aiding and abetting money laundering and opening anonymous bank accounts.
Specifically, the prosecution alleged in two of the 25 counts that Ms Oduah and Ms Odita opened anonymous “Private Banking Nominee” dollar and naira accounts with First Bank, thereby committing an offence contrary to section 11(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 11(4) (a) of the same Act.
READ ALSO: EFCC arraigns company official for failing to appoint anti-money laundering compliance desk officer
PREMIUM TIMES’ review of the charges showed that CCECC Nigeria Limited allegedly transferred over N2.5 billion into the naira account of a Private Banking Nominee between 31 March and 6 June 2014.
In seven of the counts where CCECC is indicted singly and along with Ms Oduah and Ms Oditah, the company was accused of “conspiring with the women to commit money laundering, and directly transferring to Private Banking Nominee account various sums of money totalling N2,583,385,246 which it reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity to wit: fraud…”
The defendants denied all the charges.
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