The planned arraignment of former Aviation Minister, Senator Stella Adaeze Oduah at the Federal High Court in Abuja, today, Monday, on alleged N25B fraud and money laundering charges has been aborted
This is owing to the on-going nationwide strike by judiciary workers in the country.
The Senator, who allegedly committed the corruption offence when she served as Minister of Aviation under former President Goodluck Jonathan was billed to be arraigned in court today, April 19 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
At the Federal High Court billed to be presided over by Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo where Mrs Oduah was supposed to be docked along with eight others, the gates were put under lock and key by the striking workers.
DAILY POST observed around 9am that well-wishers and sympathizers of the Senator who stormed the court to witness the arraignment were turned back at the Court’s entrance gate.
Private security guards keeping watch on the court were seen politely informing the crowd that the court will not sit until further notice.
However, our Correspondent could not ascertain if the Senator representing Anambra North in the Senate was in one of the luxury cars brought to the court due to their factory fitted tinted glasses.
Her lead counsel Chief Onyechi Ikpeazu a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN simply said that his client was ready to honour the court as soon as they are ready for her.
DAILY POST noted that this is the third time the arraignment of the former Aviation Minister will be scuttled in the same court for different reasons.
According to our findings, Senator Oduah’s arraingment was first stalled on February 9, 2021, following her absence in court which EFCC lawyer, Dr Hassan Liman, SAN, attributed to non service of the charge personally on her as required by law.
The trial judge, Justice Ekwo had then rescheduled her arraingment for Monday February 22, 2021 which also flopped.
Although Mrs Oduah was present in court on February 22 with her lawyers led by Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, the arraingment again failed due to non service of the charge sheet on two other defendants.
EFCC’s lawyer had told the court that the commission was yet to serve the fifth and sixth defendants specifically with the court processes.
Liman had then sought for a short adjournment to enable the EFCC serve the defendants which are corporate bodies at their respective addresses.
In a short ruling, Justice Ekwo granted the request and directed that the defendants be served within 14 days.
The judge subsequently fixed today, April 19 for the arraingment of the defendants to answer the criminal fraud and money laundering charges brought against them by the anti graft agency on behalf of the federal government.
Mrs Oduah is to stand trial alongside eight others on a 26-count criminal charge bordering on corruption, misappropriation and money laundering.
In the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/316/20, the defendants were in count one charged with money laundering while in count two, Oduah in connivance with one Gloria Odita, Company Secretary of Sea Petroleum & Gas Conthat, Ltd (SPGC), was alleged to have “used your position to transfer the sum of N839,780,738.00 (Eight Hundred and Thirty Nine Million, Seven Hundred and Eighty, thousand, Seven Hundred and Thirty Eight Naira only) from 1-Sec Security Nig. Ltd account No. 2021756955 with First Muds Plc to Broadwaters Resources Company Ltd account No. 2023201064 with First Bank Plc which money you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: Fraud and thereby, committed an offence contra, to Section 15(2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (As Amended) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act”.
The Senator was also accused of Illegally transferring another sum of N838,000,000.00 (Eight Hundred and Thirty Eight Million Naira only) in count three.
In count four, both Mrs Oduah and Mrs Odita were accused of laundering another sum of NI, 629,250,000.00 (One Billion, Six Hundred and Twenty Nine Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Nairn only) in February 2014 and another N1.629,250,000.00 (One Billion, Six Hundred and Twenty Nine Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) in count five.
