By Chioma Iruke
A letter from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation calling for the case review of Nigeria’s former Aviation Minster, Stella Oduah, has stalled her arraignment.
Recall that Justice Inyang Ekwo had on Oct. 20, fixed today (Monday) for the arraignment of Oduah over allegations bordering on fraud while she served in the office.
Oduah, who currently represents Anambra North Senatorial District at the National Assembly and eight others, were expected to be arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on alleged N5 billion fraud and financial misappropriation.
When they were about to take their plea to a 25-count charge, a defence counsel, Oguh Onoja, raised an objection in open court. Onoja informed that a petition had already been written to the AGF, complaining that the defendants were just been persecuted.
He explained that a letter from the AGF to the EFCC had called for the review of the matter, but that the anti-graft agency had refused to return the case file to the AGF as requested by his office. Onoja then presented the certified true copy of the letter to the judge.
Counsel to the EFCC, U. Uket, contended that even though he was just seeing the letter, a petition could not stop a plea from being taken.
“The AGF has powers to intervene, continue or discontinue a case.
“The fact that a petition has been written to the AGF does not stop the plea from being taken,” he said. Justice Ekwo noted that a constitutional issue had been raised and he was not going to deal with it “summarily.”
