The Federal Capital Territory Excessive Court docket sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday, discharged former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, following the restitution of funds to the Federal Authorities.
The trial decide, Justice Hamza Muazu, struck out the cost in opposition to Oduah and her co-defendant, Gloria Odita, after the prosecution confirmed restoration of the alleged proceeds.
Muazu held, “The cost dated October 13, 2025, is hereby struck out, and the defendants are accordingly discharged.”
The Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), instructed the courtroom that he had the instruction of the Legal professional-Common of the Federation to substantiate that the federal government had obtained the worth of the subject material of the cost.
“I’ve the instruction of the Legal professional-Common of the Federation to tell your lordship that the state confirms receipt of the worth of the subject material of this cost,” Oyedepo mentioned.
Following the event, the prosecution amended the cost to mirror solely two corporations — Sobora Worldwide Restricted and International Offshore Marine Restricted — successfully eradicating Oduah and Odita as defendants.
Counsel for Oduah, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), and counsel for Odita, Wale Balogun (SAN), urged the courtroom to withdraw the costs in opposition to their purchasers.
Nonetheless Oyedepo maintained that the previous defendants might nonetheless stand as representatives of the businesses for the aim of taking the plea
After listening to arguments from each side, the decide clarified that the courtroom document wouldn’t mirror any conviction in opposition to Oduah and Odita, noting that they solely appeared as representatives of the businesses.
The matter was briefly stood down to permit events to resolve disagreements on the mode of illustration.
Upon resumption, each prosecution and defence agreed that solely the businesses could be mirrored within the cost, with representatives showing on their behalf.
The Federal Authorities subsequently arraigned the businesses on two counts bordering on fraud.
In line with the cost, Sobora Worldwide Restricted, in 2015, had in its possession the sum of N838m, moderately suspected to have been illegally obtained from the Ministry of Aviation via a safety agency, ISEC Safety Upkeep Restricted.
Equally, International Offshore Marine Restricted was alleged to have had in its possession N1.629bn from the identical supply.
Oduah, who stood as a consultant of the businesses, pleaded responsible to the amended prices.
Consequently, the courtroom convicted the businesses and ordered the restitution of N1.2bn to the Federal Authorities, in addition to the forfeiture of N780m recovered through the investigation.