Alleged Scam: Borishade, Oduah lose bid to stop trials

Two former Aviation Ministers, Babalola Borishade and Senator Stella Oduah, on Wednesday, failed in bids to stop their trials over alledged fraudulent misnanagement of funds.

Borishade had his bid to stop his trial over a N5.2 billion fraud turned down by Justice Abubakar Sadiq Umar of the FCT High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, in a case brought against him and four others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Borishade, his personal assistant, Tunde Dairo, a former managing director of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency, Rowland Iyayi and an Australian, George Elder, were accused of mismanaging a N5.2 billion Aviation Safe Tower contract.

They were arraigned on November 19, 2009 by the EFCC on a 15-count charge of taking bribe and forging aviation contract documents.

Justice Umar adjourned to the March 7, 2016 for continuation of trial.

Similarly, anither Federal High Court sitting in Lagos dismissed a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by another former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, against the Attorney General of the Federation and three others.

Justice Okon Abang, who dismissed Oduah’s suit for want of jurisdiction, ordered her to pay a cost of N15,000 to the AGF.

Oduah had approached the court in August last year, praying it to restrain agencies of the Federal Government from questioning or prosecuting her over the purchase of two armoured BMW vehicles at a cost of N255m by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority under her watch as the Aviation Minister in 2013.

The judge also held that if the Federal Government had any valid reason to arraign Oduah in a Lagos State High Court as she alleged, it would not amount a violation of her right.

A former Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan of Niger Delta Affairs, Kingsley Kuku, was also not lucky, Justice Abang also refused his prayer to stop the EFCC and the Department of State Services from arresting and probing him.

Justice Abang dismissed the suit for lacking in merit. He however ordered the EFCC and the DSS not to detain him beyond 48 hours in contravention of Section 35(4)(5) of the Constitution.

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now