N2.5bn Fraud Charges: Ex-minister Stella Oduah, co-defendant begin returning alleged looted funds

Former Minister of Aviation Stella Oduah has commenced steps to return some looted funds to the Nigerian government amid settlement talks over the N2.5 billion fraud charges instituted against her and her co-defendant.

Disclosing this to the FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo, said Ms Oduah is making the refund moves along with her co-defendant, Gloria Odita.

“The defendants have made a move to refund a certain amount of the money into the government coffers,” the DPPF, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said.

Although Mr Oyedepo did not disclose the amount refunded so far, he said what is left “is the confirmation of receipt of the bank draft by the government.”

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The defence lawyers – Onyechi Ikpeazu, a SAN, representing Ms Oduah, and Favour Osunaya representing Ms Odita, confirmed Mr Oyedepo’s report on the matter, but also refrained from providing further details concerning the refund.

Ms Oduah and her co-defendant were present in court on Thursday but said nothing on their own apart from what their lawyers said on their behalf.

After hearing the lawyers’ submissions, the trial judge, Hamza Muazu, adjourned until 26 March to receive a status report.

Thursday’s development comes exactly three weeks after both the defence and the prosecution informed the court of a plea bargain-related application the defendants submitted to the Attorney-General of the Federation regarding the N2.5 billion fraud charges.

Mr Oyedepo, who led the prosecution team, said Ms Oduah submitted the application in line with the provisions of Section 270 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.

“The matter is slated for commencement of trial, but as the prosecution was preparing for the trial, the AGF received an application from the first defendant for discussion. This is in line with the provisions of Section 270 of the ACJA 2015,” Mr Oyedepo told the judge during the 12 February proceedings in the case.

Terms of agreement remain secret

While the substance of the application has yet to be publicly disclosed, Section 270 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) on which the defendants’ application was anchored, governs plea bargaining, including the conditions that must be met to embark on such a negotiation with a defendant charged with a criminal offence.

Plea bargaining is a negotiated agreement in criminal cases where a defendant pleads guilty—often to a lesser charge or fewer counts—in exchange for concessions from the prosecutor, like a lighter sentence or dropped charges, to avoid trial.

According to the law, plea bargaining can also take place “where the defendant has agreed to return the proceeds of the crime or make restitution to the victim or his representative”.

However, because details of the agreement regarding the refund have not yet been disclosed to the public, it remains unclear whether the resolution will take the form of a plea bargain—requiring the defendants to plead guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence—or a full withdrawal of the charges as the final settlement.

Charges

On 10 December 2025, the Attorney-General of the Federation’s office arraigned Ms Oduah alongside her co-defendant on five charges of N2.5 billion fraud.

The AGF office arraigned her before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja alongside Ms Odita, with whom the former minister faces another pending N5 billion money laundering trial before another court.

The charges alleged that the two defendants committed the offences 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 served two terms representing Anambra North Senatorial District from 2015 to 2023.

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 of 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.