Following a successful plea bargain with the Federal Government, a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at Maitama, on Thursday, terminated the trial of former Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah.
The court equally freed her former aide, Gloria Odita, who was a co-defendant in the case.
Specifically, the FG alleged that the defendants conspired in 2014 to obtain a total of N2,469,030,738.90 from the Federal Ministry of Aviation through two firms—Broad Waters Resources Nigeria Ltd and Global Offshore Marine Ltd—under fraudulent claims.
It was alleged that they claimed the funds were meant to cover costs for “technical supervision” as well as “security integrated and logistics support services,” knowing these representations to be false.
In count two of the charge, the FG alleged that on January 13, 2014, the defendants obtained the sum of ₦839,780,738.90 by falsely pretending that it represented the “Cost of Technical Supervision.”
In another count, it was alleged that the defendants obtained ₦1,629,250,000 from the Ministry on February 12, 2014, through Global Offshore Marine Ltd, claiming it was for “Security Integrated and Logistics Support Services”—a representation the prosecution said was false.
It was further alleged that the former minister dishonestly misappropriated funds earmarked for a contract awarded to a firm identified as 1-Sec Security Nigeria Ltd while in office.
The defendants had, on March 5, persuaded the court to suspend the trial to allow them to explore a plea bargain.
At Thursday’s resumed sitting, the prosecuting lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, informed the court that, based on the plea bargain deal between the parties, the FG had decided to discontinue the case against them.
However, Oyedepo, SAN, disclosed that an amended two-count charge had been filed against two firms—Sobora International Limited and Global Offshore and Marine Limited—which are linked to the ex-minister.
In the charge, Sobora International was accused of unlawfully possessing N838 million, while Global Offshore was alleged to have unlawfully possessed the sum of N1.629 billion.
Shortly after Justice Hamza Mu’azu discharged Oduah and Odita, the court took the pleas of the two companies on the amended charge.
The ex-minister stood as the representative of both firms and pleaded guilty on their behalf.
Based on the guilty pleas, the prosecutor urged the court not only to convict them but also to issue an order winding them up.
Oyedepo, SAN, further urged the court to order the forfeiture of N1.2 billion—paid as restitution by the companies (as detailed in a bank draft submitted to the court)—and N780 million recovered by investigators during the investigation, to the FG.
Counsel to the companies, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, did not oppose the application.
Justice Mu’azu therefore convicted the companies in his ruling and ordered that they be wound up.
The court equally ordered that the funds paid as restitution, as well as the N780 million recovered during the investigation, be forfeited to the FG.
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