Politics
Stella Oduah in trouble again, as court freezes 21 accounts
Former minister for Aviation, Sen Stella Oduah is once again in troubled waters, as a Federal High Court in Lagos has put a freeze on 21 bank accounts link to her and four companies.
The court has placed an order restraining Oduah and the companies from making any withdrawal from the said accounts.
The companies are Sea Petroleum and Gas Company Ltd., Sea Shipping Agency Ltd, Rotary Engineering Services Ltd, and Tour Afrique Company Ltd.
The order followed a suit against them over an alleged indebtedness of about $16.4 million and N100.5 million to Sterling Bank Plc.
It would be recalled that Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) pushed for the prosecution of Mrs Oduah just after she left office as aviation minister over two armoured BMW cars purchased for N255 million during her tenure as Minister in 2013.
In a counter suit, she claimed that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government had perfected to use the judiciary to publicly humiliate her under the guise of fighting graft.
Not long after that, the cold hands of death snatched away her son, which also caused friction between herself and her ex-husband, the boy’s father, Lt. Col. Satchie Emmanuel Etoromi (Rtd).
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In the latest troubles she has to contend with, the court also directed the said commercial banks harbouring assets of Mrs Oduah and the four companies, to sequestre their indebtedness, as at November 2016.
The court ordered that the money be kept in an interest yielding account in the name of the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, pending determination of the suit before the court to recover the debt.
The trial judge, Justice Abdulaziz Anka, also ordered that court processes be advertised in national newspapers.
The order of the court followed an affidavit deposed to by Business Manager of Sterling Bank, Mr Segun Akinsanya, filed and argued before the court by its counsel.
In the affidavit, Akinsanya averred that on October 8, 2012, the bank granted a lease/Cabotage Vessel Finance Facility, CVFF, to Sea Petroleum and Gas Company in the said sums, to finance one unit 5,000 MT tanker vessel.
He said that the loan was secured by an unconditional personal guarantee of the companies’ director, Stella Oduah.
Mr. Akinsanya also said that same was supported by a statement of her net worth, legal mortgage of two properties worth N135 billion, and a power of Attorney of the tanker vessel in favour of Sterling Bank.
Also in support was a fully executed standing payment order and tripartite remittance agreement between First Bank plc, Sterling Bank and Stella Oduah.
However, Stella Oduah and her companies, have urged the court to discharge the order made against them. As they have also filed a preliminary objection to the suit, urging the court to strike out the suit for lack of jurisdiction.
Justice Anka adjourned till March 20, to decide whether or not to vacate the order.
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JOHNSON PETER
February 23, 2017 at 7:43 am
If people were to think of the future, they would have done good. With all their greedy ways of acquiring money when they were in power, now they can not spend the money and at the same time indebtedness. Life of vanity.
Margret Dickson
February 23, 2017 at 10:34 am
Almost all humans are greedy, it only takes self control to say no to Greed. Stella Odua used to be one of the women I look up to, but she changed totally before she completed her tenure as the aviation minister. It is now more sad to know she had more fraudulent operations when he was in service
Roland Uchendu Pele
February 23, 2017 at 9:45 am
I just pity these companies that join forces with politicians in this country.
It is better for them to stay on their own, earning the little they can get from their customers, without hoping to get millions from the thieves we have as leaders, dipping their hands in a mess.
Animashaun Ayodeji
February 23, 2017 at 10:22 am
Stella Oduah’s corruption case will never finish, she made sure she looted all available funds while discharging her duties as aviation minister, I won’t be surprised there are more cases undetected
Johnson Amadi
February 23, 2017 at 10:30 am
How can a human being, just one person operate 21 bank accounts? For whats? These are traces that some things have been going on before EFCC noticed them. Stella is no doubt a criminal who deserves to be punished by the law court
Balarabe musa
February 23, 2017 at 2:46 pm
She only toe the path of her syndicates like patience Jonathan, Madueke Alison
These are fearless corrupt women who drained Nigeria.
seyi jelili
February 23, 2017 at 3:19 pm
Sincerely, magu deserves award for his strong fight against corruption, this man has single handedly recover billions of naira for us and there some useless senators are refusing to confirm him the chairman of the efcc, may thunder strike them all. Magu must be confirmed and all Kudos to apc government. This is the first time, efcc are allowed to fully do their job as anti graft agency.