The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned senator and former minister Stella Oduah at a high court in Abuja on allegations of fraud on Friday.

Oduah and eight others, including private companies, stood before the court for allegedly conspiring to and fraudulently converting government funds around N5 billion for personal use.

Justice Ekwo of the high court told the EFCC to transfer the case file to the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation. The judge cited controversies surrounding the case and ruled that the office of the AGF would ensure diligent prosecution of Oduah and the others.

It is not the first controversial corruption case Oduah has endured. The former aviation minister has in fact been accused of misappropriation of public funds several times.

FIJ highlights Oduah’s previous cases bordering on corruption and financial misappropriation.

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N225M BMW CARS

In October 2016, Oduah filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit to make the Federal High Court prevent the EFCC from arresting, investigating or inviting her over diversion of public funds.

The EFCC was investigating Oduah for buying two armoured BMW vehicles at the cost of N255 million through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) while she was aviation minister in 2013.

Oduah wanted the court to bar the police, the EFCC and the office of the AGF from investigating the matter.

“It is not grantable by this court because the court cannot stop security agencies from carrying out their duties. There is no way a person can be investigated without being invited by the body charged with the responsibility of investigation,” Justice Abdu Kafarati ruled.

“In most cases, the invitation is even in the interest of the invitee because he or she will have the opportunity of giving his or her side of the story.

“I, therefore, hold that the application seeking to stop security agencies from inviting, investigating, arresting or prosecuting any person suspected to have committed an offence does not constitute a fundamental right action.”

In August 2017, about a year after the High Court rejected Oduah’s fundamental rights suit, she claimed she was unaware of any probe. Oduah insisted that both BMW vehicles were used by the agency that purchased them.

EIGHT-HOUR INTERROGATION FOR N3.9B FRAUD

In February 2018, the EFCC told The Punch that Oduah was questioned for hours over alleged diversion of public funds.

This time, reports had it that Oduah was involved in fraud amounting to N3.9 billion in diverted funds.

“I can confirm that the former minister was at our office. She has been asked to return on Tuesday to face more questions,” Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC spokesperson, told the newspaper.

The diverted N3.9 billion was part of the N9.4 billion meant for the installation of security devices at 22 airports.

Oduah denied the allegations.

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DEBT TO THE TUNE OF N20B

The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMICON) released a statement in May 2018 claiming that Oduah and Sea Petroleum Oil and Gas Limited, her company refused to settle a staggering N20 billion debt.

According to AMICON, the corporation had exhausted all avenues of dialogue and Oduah simply refused to repay her debt.

“Having exhausted all avenues of peaceful resolution of the humongous debt, AMCON had no other choice than to refer the matter to court,” AMICON stated on May 18, 2018.

“In compliance with the order of the court, AMCON through its receiver, Moyosore Jubril Onigbanjo, SAN, today (May 18), simultaneously took possession of the assets of Sea Petroleum & Gas Ltd. and its affiliated companies.

“Justice Hassan specifically ordered Sea Petroleum Oil & Gas Ltd. and its affiliated companies to hand over the company’s business, which sits on over 9000 square kilometres of land in the fastest developing area of Lagos State along the Lekki-Epe Expressway.”

In the previous year, a federal high court had frozen the bank accounts of four companies linked to Oduah over $16.4 million and N100 million debts. Justice Abdulaziz Anka gave the order in February 2017.

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ONGOING N5B FRAUD CASE

In February 2021, the EFCC opened a separate fraud case where it indicted Oduah and seven others over the illegal withdrawal of N5 billion over four months in 2014. Oduah was Aviation Minister between 2011 and 2014.

The EFCC accused Oduah and the other defendants of conspiracy to commit money laundering, transferring, taking control of proceeds of fraud, aiding and abetting money laundering and opening anonymous bank accounts in a 25-count charge.

While the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Nigeria Ltd. transferred over N2.6 billion into the naira account of Private Banking Nominee between March 31 and June 6, 2014, I-See Security Nigeria Ltd. sent about N2.5 billion from its First Bank account to recipients linked to Oduah between February and April 2014, according to the EFCC.

The agency also said that Oduah, Gloria Odita, Nwobu Nnamdi, Chukwuma Chinyere, Global Offshore, Marine Ltd. Tip Top Global Resources Ltd., Crystal Television Ltd., and Sobora International Ltd. were all involved in the laundering process.

Oduah has always pleaded non-guilty to these charges. No court has pronounced Oduah guilty of fraud despite multiple corruption charges in separate cases since 2016.