A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Maitama on Thursday discharged former Minister of Aviation Stella Oduah and her former aide, Gloria Odita, from the alleged ₦2.469 billion fraud case brought against them by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (OAGF) and Minister of Justice.
Justice Hamza Muazu issued the discharge order on Thursday after the prosecution informed the court it had discontinued its case against them and filed an amended charge naming only two firms linked to the ex-minister as defendants.
The firms are Sobora International Limited and Global Offshore and Marine Limited.
Prosecutors had earlier told the court the two women conspired in January 2014 to obtain the money from the Federal Ministry of Aviation through Broad Waters Resources Nigeria Ltd and Global Offshore Marine Ltd, falsely claiming it was for “Cost of Technical Supervision” and “Security Integrated and Logistics Support Services.”
The five-count charge sheet says the sums were obtained by false pretence and that Oduah, as Minister, dishonestly authorised transfers meant for a contractor. Both defendants pleaded not guilty.
But when the case was first called on Thursday morning, prosecuting lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo ( SAN) told the court that based on plea bargain talks between parties, the prosecution had filed an amended charge.
When the issue of representation for the firms arose, lawyers for the parties sought time to address it, following which the judge stood down proceedings until later in the day.
In the amended two-count charge, Sobora International was accused of unlawfully possessing N838m, while Global Offshore was alleged to have unlawfully possessed N1.629b.
When the case was recalled in the afternoon, the ex-minister stood as the representative of both firms and pleaded guilty, on their behalf, to the amended charge.
Following the guilty plea entered for the two firms, Oyedepo urged the court to convict them and issue an order winding them up.
Oyedepo also urged the court to order the forfeiture of N1.2 billion, paid as restitution by the companies (as detailed in a bank draft submitted to the court), and N780 million recovered by investigators during the investigation, to the Federal Government.
Lawyer to the companies, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), did not object to Oyedepo’s requests, which the judge granted in his ruling.
Justice Muazu convicted the companies based on their guilty plea, issued an order winding them up, and further ordered that the N1.2b paid as restitution and the N780m recovered during the investigation be forfeited to the FG.
The judge equally issued an order striking out the earlier charge, dated October 13, 2025, which contained the names of the ex-minister and Odita, and proceeded to discharge them.