N7.9 billion fraud case: EFCC finally arraigns Stella Oduah, and eight others

N7.9 billion fraud case: EFCC finally arraigns Stella Oduah, And eight others

Today, July 21, 2023, the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) referred former Aviation Minister Stella Adaeze Oduah to the Department of Justice I.E. Abuja Metama Federal High Court for 25 charges of near-money laundering. She docked along with three other ships: Gloria Odita, Nwobu Emmanuel Nnamdi and Irene Chukwuma, and five companies: Global Offshore And Marine Limited, Tiptop Global Resources Limited, Crystal Television Limited, Sobora International Limited and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation.

One of the allegations alleges, “You, Stella Adaeze Oduah, concurrently Minister of Aviation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Gloria Odita, concurrently the Company Secretary of SPGC and Assistant to Nwobu Emmanuel Nnamdi, former Secretary of Aeronautics, and also an employee of SPGC and Assistant to Chukwuma Irene Chinyere, former Minister of Aeronautics, Global Offshore And Marine Limited, Tiptop Global Resources Limited, Crystal Television Limited, Sobora International Limited (a) conspired to commit “money laundering” at the Ministry of Justice, Ben Court of Honor, Abuja between January 2014 and April 2014, contrary to section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (as amended), and is punishable under section 15(3) and (4) of that Act.

Count 5 reads: “You, Stella Adaeze Oduah, during your tenure as Minister of Aviation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Global Offshore and Marine Ltd, a limited liability company registered in Abuja under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on or about 12 February 2014, controlled within the judicial division of this Court of Honor a total of N1,629,250,000.00 (billion, six hundred and twenty-nine million, twenty-five van Naira) and paid to I-Sec Security Nig’s Global Offshore and Marine Ltd account number 2022977296 registered with First Bank Plc. Your account number with First Bank Plc is 2021756955 and you should be aware that these funds form part of the proceeds of unlawful conduct and you are therefore in breach of the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2011 prohibiting ( Prohibition) Act (Revised) Section 15(2) and may be punished under Section 15(3) and (4) of the Act.

The defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

Judge Ekwo granted the accused bail and adjourned the trial until October 17, 2023, under the terms of the administrative bail that the EFCC had earlier provided to the accused.

It is worth noting that the committee filed charges against Oduah and others on December 17, 2020, but the arraignment process was full of twists and turns. Defendants were repeatedly absent from court and forced to adjourn; when they were free, either lawyers requested an adjournment citing settlement negotiations, or the judge had issues not allowing arraignment. The sound of ding dong lasted for nearly three years.

At today’s meeting, Judge Ekovo called for a report on the investigation, and he ordered the EFCC to investigate anonymous threatening messages he received via text message related to the case. EFCC chief prosecutor Hassan Liman (SAN) told the court the commission was doing its best to arrest the anonymous courier. However, Judge Ekovo said he must order the committee to hand over the investigative file on Stella Adaeze Oduah and eight others to the federal attorney general within two weeks for the prosecution to proceed because the committee was unable to prepare a report.