AGF takes over Stella Oduah’s N5bn fraud case from EFCC

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has taken over the prosecution of the N5 billion fraud case involving the former minister of aviation, Stella Oduah, from the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The Chief State Counsel from the AGF Office, David Kaswe, disclosed this at the resumed hearing of the case at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday.

He told the court that the OAGF had sent a letter to the EFCC requesting the defendants’ case file but the commission had yet to release the file.

He, therefore, sought an adjournment of the case.

In his remark, Justice Inyang Ekwo reminded the lawyer that it was the order of the court that the AGF should take over the case.

The judge, who said that the office of the AGF did not need to write the EFCC, said the commission was bound to obey the order.

Kaswe, however, said that his office took into cognisance the fact that the EFCC had just had a change of leadership.

The judge adjourned the matter till March 28, 2024.

READ ALSO: Finally, EFCC arraigns Stella Oduah, others on 25-count charges of money laundering

The commission arraigned Oduah and other defendants on a 25-count charge of fraud and money laundering on July 21.

Other defendants are the Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) Nigeria Limited, Gloria Odita, Nwosu Emmanuel Nnamdi, and Chukwuma Irene Chinyere.

The remaining defendants are Global Offshore and Marine Limited, Tip Top Global Resources Limited, Crystal Television Limited, and Sobora International Limited.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail in terms of the administrative bail earlier granted them by the commission.

The EFCC alleged that the defendants laundered various sums of money totaling N5, 052,415,984 between February and June 2014.

The commission also accused the defendants of conspiracy to commit money laundering, transferring, taking control, and taking possession of proceeds of fraud, aiding and abetting money laundering, among others.

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