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After over two and half years of failed attempts, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has finally arraigned a former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, and a Chinese construction giant, CCECC, on N5 billion fraud charges that have been filed against them since December 2020.
The arraignment had been postponed up to 15 times for various reasons, including difficulties in serving some of the defendants and, at another time, the prying of the Attorney-General of the Federation’s office into the case.
Long adjournments in between hearing dates and an anonymous petition written against the trial judge, Inyang Ekwo, had also contributed to the delays the case has suffered.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that EFCC arraigned Ms Oduah, who represented Anambra North Senatorial District in the 9th Senate, and CCECC, alongside seven others, on Friday.
All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the 25 money laundering charges, which they allegedly committed between 31 March and 6 June 2014.
Alongside Ms Oduah, CCECC Nigeria Ltd, the Nigerian subsidiary of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) established by the Chinese government to execute international contracts and economic cooperation, is one of the leading defendants fingered in the case.
Another of the co-defendants is Gloria Odita (2nd defendant), who is said to be an aide to Ms Oduah when she was Minister of Aviation and company secretary of Sea Petroleum & Gas Company (SPGC) Limited, a firm founded by the former minister.
The rest include an employee of SPCG and aide to Ms Oduah, Nwobu Nnamdi (3rd defendant), Chukwuma Chinyere, Global Offshore and Marine Ltd, Tip Top Global Resources Ltd, Crystal Television Limited, and Sobora International Limited.
Chequered history
Ms Oduah’s absence from court on different occasions contributed considerably to the stalling of proceedings in the case.
In July 2021, seven months after the case was filed, the judge threatened to issue a warrant for her arrest over her failure to appear in court for arraignment.
Ms Oduah was not in court at the proceedings along with the defendant, Chukwuma Chinyere.
Ms Chukwuma’s lawyer, Odion Odia, told the judge that his client was ill and could not make her way from Asaba, Delta State, to the court.
Well over a year after the case was filed in court, some defendants had yet to be served with the charges.
Proceedings were stalled on 9 February and 10 May 2022 on the grounds of non-service of the charges on the defendants.
In 2022 alone, the case was adjourned on seven occasions, stalling arraignments during a protracted wait for legal advice concerning the case from then Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
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