A former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, has been arraigned before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Maitama on a five-count charge, in which she is accused, among other things, of misappropriating about N5 billion in public funds.

Oduah was arraigned along with one of her ex-aides, Gloria Odita, on the charge marked: CR/606/2025 filed on October 14 by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).

The ex-minister and her co-defendant were alleged to have committed the offences contained in the charge between January and February 2014, while she was in office.

The two defendants pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them on Wednesday.

Shortly after their arraignment, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), who appeared for the ex-minister, and Wale Balogun (SAN), for the second defendant, applied for bail.

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who led the prosecuting team, did not oppose the defendants’ bail applications.

Fagbemi urged the court to order the defendants to deposit their travel documents with the court to ensure that they are available for trial.

Ruling, Justice Hamza Muazu granted both defendants bail on self-recognition and ordered Oduah to submit her international passport, which she must only retrieve with the permission of the court.

Justice Muazu said since Odita’s passport was being held by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in relation to another case, the document should not be released under the conclusion of that case, following which it should be transferred to his court.

The judge adjourned till January 12 and 13 for trial.

The counts in the charge read:

*That you, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah and Gloria Odita, sometimes in January,2014 in Abuja, agreed amongst yourselves to act to commit and unlawful act, to wit: Obtaining the whooping sum of N2,459,030,733.5 through Broad Waters Resource Nigeria Limited and Global Offshore Marine Limited by false from the Federal Ministry of Aviation by falsely pretending that the said sum represented “cost of technical supervision” and “security integrated and logistic support services,” which representation you knew to be false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 8(a) and 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

*That you, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah and Gloria Odita on the 13th day of January, 2014 in Abuja, by false, pretence and with intent to defraud, obtained through Broad Waters Resource Nigeria Limited’s account No: 2023201064 domiciled with First Bank Plc, the sum of N839,780,738.90 from the Federal Ministry of Aviation by falsely pretending that the said sum represented “cost of technical supervision” which representation you knew to be false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

*That you, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah and Gloria Odita on the 12th day of February, 2014 in Abuja, by false pretence, and with intent to defraud, obtained through Global Offshore Marine Limited’s account No: 2022977296 domiciled with First Bank Pic, the sum of N1,629,250,000 from the Federal Ministry of Aviation by falsely pretending that the said sum represented “security integrated support services,” which representation you knew to be false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

That you, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah and Gloria Odita on the 13th day of January, 2014 in Abuja, whist serving as the Minister of Aviation, Federal Republic of Nigeria and having dominion over the contract awarded to I-SEC Security Nigeria Ltd, dishonestly misappropriated the sum of N839,780,738.90) by authorizing the transfer of the said sum, which act is a breach of your official trust contrary to Section 311 and punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89 Laws of the Federation, 1990.

That you, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah and Gloria Odita, on the 12th day of February, 2014 in Abuja, whilst serving as the Minister of Aviation, Federal Republic of Nigeria and having dominion over the contract awarded to I-SEC Security Nigeria Ltd, dishonestly misappropriated the sum of N1,629,250,000 by authorizing the transfer of the said sum which act is a breach of your official trust contrary to Section 311 and punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89 Laws of the Federation, 1990.

Source; The Nation News