Abubakar Malami, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, has finally issued a direction for the arraignment of a former Aviation Minister, Senator Stella Adaeze Oduah, on N7.9 billion money laundering charges brought by the Federal Government.
As a result of the direction sent in a letter to the Federal High Court, the arraignment has already been adjourned six times in a row.
The trial of Oduah and other defendants in the alleged fraud case was scheduled to begin last year but was postponed six times due to the AGF’s request to analyse the case file and provide legal advice.
However, during Wednesday’s hearings, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, or EFCC, presented a letter from Malami to the court, requesting that the Senator be formally docked for the alleged offences.
Mrs. Odua, who appeared in court with her other eight co-defendants, was assigned the dates of February 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17, 2023, for arraignment and full-scale accelerated trial.
Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo set the date after parties confirmed that Malami, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, had issued the letter and copied them as required by law.
The EFCC charged Mrs. Oduah with misappropriating N7.9 billion in public monies while serving as a Minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan’s regime.
Gloria Odita, Nwosu Emmanuel Nnamdi, Chukwuma Irene Chinyere, Global Offshore and Marine Limited, Tip Top Global Resources Limited, Crystal Television Limited, and Sobora International Limited are also defendants.
They are charged with conspiracy, money laundering, and keeping anonymous bank accounts.
