BMW Car Scandal: EFCC Tells Court To Dismiss Former Aviation Minister Stella Oduah’s Lawsuit

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has filed a preliminary objection to the suit filed by a former Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, seeking court’s protection from probe.

Stella Oduah is the former Nigerian Aviation Minister who purchased armored BMW cars for $1.6m

Oduah had, on August 26, 2015, obtained an interim injunction barring the EFCC from taking any action against her as regards the purchase of two armored BMW cars at a cost of N160m in 2013 by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, under her watch.

Justice Mohammed Yunusa of a Federal High Court in Lagos granted the order following an ex parte application by Oduah’s lawyer, Mr. R.A. Oluyede.

Also restrained by the order are the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offenses Commission; the Attorney General of the Federation and the Inspector General of Police.

The judge barred the respondents and their agents from inviting or arresting Oduah for questioning pending the determination of her main suit.

But the EFCC, in its preliminary objection, is challenging the jurisdiction of the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court to entertain the matter.

The anti-graft agency is contending that the suit was wrongly commenced in Lagos since the subject matter took place in Abuja.

Apart from this, the EFCC described Oduah’s claims as baseless and speculative, saying that the ex-minister failed to place enough materials/facts before the court to justify her claim that she was about to be invited or arrested.

The commission urged the court to reject Oduah’s suit for lacking in merit.

Oduah, who is currently in the Senate representing Anambra North Senatorial District, had approached the court claiming that the current government, under the guise of anti-graft war, was making moves to persecute and humiliate her.

She claimed that the All Progressives Congress government had perfected plans to try prominent members of the Peoples Democratic Party, including herself, on trumped up charges in a Lagos State Government-controlled court.

According to her, this ploy was to depopulate the PDP so that Nigeria could become a one-party country.

She said her persecution, which began in the build-up to the 2015 general elections, was spearheaded by the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, who was the then Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chairman, House of Reps’ Aviation Committee.

According to Oduah, the APC, in a desperate bid to capture power, began a campaign of calumny by “demonizing the most visible leaders of the PDP, including myself and others who were seen as pivotal to the re-election bid of the then incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.”

She said as part of the APC’s campaign of calumny, the party’s leadership commissioned some faceless organizations to write letters to the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, accusing her of “all manners of corrupt practices and offenses in respect of my stewardship as Minister of Aviation.”

Oduah said despite her selfless service and the immense progress made under her watch, including the revamping of the country’s air transportation, Tambuwal still ordered her investigation based on the petitions containing “spurious and wild allegations.”

She said because of her electoral value and strategic politicking, she had been a target of the ploy by the APC to depopulate the PDP and distract its leaders with trumped up charges.

According to her, part of the APC plan was to charge PDP leaders “in a criminal trial in a Lagos State Government-controlled court.”

She, however, explained that the two armored BMW purchased for N160m, was for the purpose of conveying officials of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, who were in the country at the time for the routine inspection and certification of the 22 airports in the country, which were being rehabilitated under her watch.

She said the purchase of the armored vehicles was necessitated to safeguard the lives of the foreign officials, since the inspection and certification of the airports coincided with “the peak of Boko Haram terrorists’ menace in the country, when the United Nations building and the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force were bombed in Abuja.”

Hearing of the main suit has been adjourned till October 2, 2015.

Source: Sahara Reporters