Former Aviation Minister Stella Oduah, ex-aide Gloria Odita, and seven others were arraigned for fraud charges.
Arrested on 25 counts of conspiracy, money laundering, and maintaining anonymous accounts with First Bank Plc. After pleading, Justice Ekwo ordered the AGF to take over the case and have the EFCC transfer the file within two weeks.
Stella Oduah is facing trial on 25 charges, including conspiracy, money laundering, and anonymous bank accounts. Justice Ekwo previously instructed the EFCC to arrest individuals threatening his life. He said people warned him not to trial the defendants via text.
At the hearing, EFCC Counsel Hassan Liman stated that they had investigated and identified the person as Okolo Obinna Johnson, a promoter of two companies, using their phone number. He said the effort was made through a search and BVN verification of the alleged person via the submitted telephone number. The CAC cooperated with the anti-graft agency. However, all efforts to physically track the person by the anti-graft agency and other security agencies were unsuccessful. He assured the court that the EFCC was diligently working to apprehend him.
The judge adjourned the case to July 21 for trial. Any defendant not present will be jailed. Other defendants include Gloria Odita, Nwosu Emmanuel Nnamdi, Chukwuma Irene Chinyere, Global Offshore and Marine Ltd., Tip Top Global Resources Ltd., Crystal Television Ltd., Sobora International Ltd., and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) Nigeria Ltd.
