Ex-minister, Stella Oduah condemns fresh charges by EFCC

Former Nigerian Aviation minister and Senator, Stella Oduah has faulted the fresh charges brought against her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

She said she did not know about the charges which “have no proof of evidence bearing her statement as required by law,” stating that the charges were politically motivated and a gender-based political attack.

Oduah spoke through her lawyer, James Onoja, SAN, shortly after Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ordered the investigation of the charge against her.

One Ochogwu Ogbe and Ibrahim Mohammed, who claimed to be personnel of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, had on June 26 filed an eight-count charge bordering on forgery concerning Oduah’s National Youth Service Corps certificate.

Mohammed appeared in court on Tuesday on behalf of the police to prosecute the matter but the judge after confirming from the witness that he has been disengaged from the EFCC since November last year, and now serves in the police force directed the anti-graft agency to investigate the matter and report back within one week.

Addressing the turn of events, the learned silk pointed out that Oduah was not invited to make any statement by any agency of government before the charges were filed.

He said, apart from not being served with the purported charge, the former minister was never subjected to any kind of investigation by the Nigeria Police Force or any other security agency in the country.

The learned silk stated that the two Police lawyers who filed the charges did so without affixing their lawyer practising seals even as the address where the purported charge emanated indicated EFCC’s office at number 1, Court Road, Benin City, Edo State.