The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has traced N3.6b in stolen
funds to former Minister of Aviation Stella Oduah, according to EFCC sources. As
Minister of Aviation, Ms. Oduah secured
several multi-billion naira contracts
to upgrade Nigeria’s 22 airports. It was later revealed that much of this money
went into the minister’s pockets and that the program’s progress that she
touted was grossly overstated. Documents made available to SaharaReporters
showed that of the 192 contracts awarded in the second phase of the program,
only six were completed.
Ms. Oduah first came
under scrutiny after compelling the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to buy
her two bulletproof BMWs valued at N255m. The minister was subsequently
indicted by the House of Representatives and a presidential committee for
violating the country’s procurement regulations.
Ms. Oduah recently
obtained an interim injunction preventing the EFCC from investigating,
arresting, questioning, or prosecuting her. The injunction was granted by a
controversial judge, Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court in
Lagos.
However, Justice Okon
Abang dismissed her injunction in February at a Federal High Court in Lagos,
allowing the EFCC to commence the investigations into the N255m scandal.
With permission to
investigate the minister, the anti-graft agency revealed that Ms. Oduah not
only misallocated N255m to purchase her vehicles but also stole N3.6b and
funneled it into eight companies she created for the purpose of money
laundering.
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