Former Minister of Aviation Stella Adaeze Oduah and her co defendant Gloria Odita were on Wednesday arraigned before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama on allegations of fraud, false pretence, and criminal breach of trust.
The Federal Government, in a charge sheet presented before Justice Hamza Muazu, accused the defendants of conspiring in January 2014 to obtain ₦2,469,030,738.90 from the Federal Ministry of Aviation through Broad Waters Resources Nigeria Ltd and Global Offshore Marine Ltd under claims described as fraudulent.
The first count alleges that Oduah and Odita obtained the funds by presenting the expenditure as payment for cost of technical supervision and security related logistics services, despite allegedly knowing the claims were false. The offence falls under Sections 8(a) and 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud Act.
A second count states that on January 13, 2014, the defendants secured ₦839,780,738.90 by repeating the same representation. A third count claims that on February 12, 2014, they obtained ₦1,629,250,000 from the ministry through Global Offshore Marine Ltd, again invoking the same justification which the prosecution says was knowingly untrue.
Counts Four and Five accuse Oduah, while serving as minister, of dishonestly misappropriating the funds that had been allocated for a contract awarded to 1 Sec Security Nigeria Ltd by authorising transfers that breached her official trust. These allegations fall under Sections 311 and 315 of the Penal Code.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty after the charges were read.
Defence counsel Chief Onyechi Ikpeazu, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, asked the court to grant Oduah bail on self recognition. He noted that she voluntarily travelled from the United States to honour the summons and has been on administrative bail with the EFCC. Counsel for Odita, Wale Balogun, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, also applied for bail.
Attorney General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the prosecution did not oppose bail but asked the court to fix firm trial dates, stressing that the defendants had been served since November 27, 2025.
Justice Muazu granted Oduah bail on self recognition and directed both defendants to deposit their international passports with the court. The case was adjourned to February 12 and 13, 2026, for trial.
This case adds another chapter to ongoing scrutiny of public finance management and accountability in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
