A former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, has been brought before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama on a five-count charge, in which she is accused, among other allegations, of misappropriating about N5 billion belonging to the public.
Oduah was arraigned alongside one of her former aides, Gloria Odita, on the charge marked CR/606/2025, which was filed on October 14 by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
The former minister and her co-defendant were alleged to have carried out the offences listed in the charge between January and February 2014, during her tenure in office.
Both defendants entered not-guilty pleas when the charge was read out to them on Wednesday.
Immediately after their arraignment, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), counsel for the former minister, and Wale Balogun (SAN), lawyer for the second defendant, applied to the court for bail.
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who led the prosecution, did not challenge the bail applications.
Fagbemi asked the court to compel the defendants to deposit their travel documents with the court to guarantee their presence throughout the trial.
In his decision, Justice Hamza Muazu granted both defendants bail on the basis of self-recognition and directed Oduah to hand over her international passport, which she may only collect again with the court’s permission.
Justice Muazu further stated that since Odita’s passport is presently with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with another matter, it must not be released until that case is concluded, after which it should be forwarded to his court.
The judge fixed January 12 and 13 as the dates for the commencement of the trial.
The counts in the charge read:
*That you, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah and Gloria Odita, at some time in January 2014 in Abuja, agreed amongst yourselves to carry out an unlawful act, namely: obtaining the considerable sum of N2,459,030,733.5 through Broad Waters Resource Nigeria Limited and Global Offshore Marine Limited by false pretence from the Federal Ministry of Aviation by falsely claiming that the said sum represented “cost of technical supervision” and “security integrated and logistic support services,” which claim you knew to be false, and you thereby committed an offence 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.
*That you, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah and Gloria Odita, on the 13th day of January 2014 in Abuja, by false pretence and with the intention to defraud, obtained through Broad Waters Resource Nigeria Limited’s account No: 2023201064 held with First Bank Plc, the sum of N839,780,738.90 from the Federal Ministry of Aviation by falsely claiming that the said sum represented “cost of technical supervision,” which claim you knew was false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 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.
*That you, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah and Gloria Odita, on the 12th day of February 2014 in Abuja, by false pretence and with the intention to defraud, obtained through Global Offshore Marine Limited’s account No: 2022977296 held with First Bank Plc, the sum of N1,629,250,000 from the Federal Ministry of Aviation by falsely claiming that the said sum represented “security integrated support services,” which claim you knew was false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 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.
*That you, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah and Gloria Odita, on the 13th day of January 2014 in Abuja, whilst serving as the Minister of Aviation, Federal Republic of Nigeria, and having control over the contract awarded to I-SEC Security Nigeria Ltd, dishonestly diverted the sum of N839,780,738.90 by authorising the transfer of the said sum, which amounts to a breach of your official trust contrary to Section 311 and punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990.
*That you, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah and Gloria Odita, on the 12th day of February 2014 in Abuja, whilst serving as the Minister of Aviation, Federal Republic of Nigeria, and having control over the contract awarded to I-SEC Security Nigeria Ltd, dishonestly diverted the sum of N1,629,250,000 by authorising the transfer of the said sum, which constitutes a breach of your official trust contrary to Section 311 and punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990.
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