Stella Oduah Cleared of N2.5 Billion Fraud Charges

On Thursday, the FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja, discharged former Aviation Minister Stella Oduah and her co-defendant Gloria Odita from N2.5 billion fraud charges. The court's decision followed a settlement reached between the defendants and the Nigerian government, confirmed by Rotimi Oyedepo, the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The presiding judge, Hamza Muazu, formally struck out the charges against the two individuals, clearing them of any conviction. Additionally, two corporate entities involved, Sobora International Limited and Global Offshore Marine Limited, were implicated in the alleged fraud, resulting in a restitution order of N1.2 billion to the federal government and the forfeiture of N780 million recovered during the investigation.

The charges stemmed from allegations that Oduah and Odita obtained N2.5 billion through disguised payments for security logistics services between January and February 2014. Oduah served as Minister of Aviation from July 2011 to February 2014 and later represented Anambra North in the National Assembly from 2015 to 2023.