Court discharges Stella Oduah in #2.5bn fraud case after plea bargain
A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has discharged former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, from a #2.5 billion fraud charge.
The court also discharged Gloria Odita, a former aide to the former minister.
Delivering the ruling on Thursday, the presiding judge, Hamza Muazu, said the decision followed the prosecution’s move to discontinue the case after a plea bargain agreement was reached.
However, two companies linked to Oduah, Sobora International Limited and Global Offshore and Marine Limited, remain defendants under an amended charge.
Counsel to the federal government, Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that the prosecution reviewed the case in light of the agreement and chose to proceed against the companies, which allegedly benefited from the fraud.
In the amended two count charge, Sobora International Limited was accused of unlawfully possessing N838 million, while Global Offshore and Marine Limited allegedly possessed N1.629 billion.
After a guilty plea was entered on behalf of the companies, Oyedepo urged the court to convict them and order their winding up. He also asked the court to forfeit N1.2 billion paid as restitution, submitted through a bank draft, as well as N780 million recovered during the investigation.
Defence counsel Onyechi Ikpeazu and Wale Balogun did not oppose the request.
In his ruling, Justice Muazu convicted the companies based on their guilty plea and ordered that they be wound up. He also directed that the N1.2 billion restitution and the N780 million recovered be forfeited to the federal government.
The judge struck out the earlier charge dated October 13, 2025, which included Oduah and Odita as defendants, effectively discharging both of them.
Oduah and Odita were arraigned in December 2025 by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation on a five count charge involving alleged fraud, obtaining by false pretence, and criminal breach of trust.
The prosecution alleged that in January 2014, the defendants conspired to obtain N2.4 billion from the Federal Ministry of Aviation through Broad Waters Resources Nigeria Limited and Global Offshore Marine Limited under false claims.
The offences were said to contravene Sections 8(a) and 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud Act and are punishable under Section 1(3).
The defendants had initially pleaded not guilty before the plea bargain was reached.