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Group Petitions Tinubu, Insists Oduah Should Take Plea On Alleged N7.9 Billion Fraud Case
The Anti-Corruption Network has petitioned President Bola Tinubu over what it claims as a plot to again stop the arraignment on Thursday, June 14 of Senator Stella Oduah over her alleged culpability in an alleged N7.9 billion fraud.
Noting that Senator Oduah has in the last 13 times that the case was called refused to enter the box and declare her innocence or not, the group said that it was a great affront to the rule of law for an individual to believe that she is above the law.
In the petition dated June 13, 2023, addressed to the president and signed by Engr Olufemi Austin, Director of Programme; Abdulrasheed Dandutse, General Secretary; Victor Obi Esq Director, Monitoring, Prince Celsus Miaphen; Co-ordinator, Northern Operation the group tasked President Tinubu to interrogate alleged plots to keep Senator Stella Oduah from stopping the wheels of justice.
The group in the statement said:
Your Excellency Sir,
PASSIONATE APPEAL FOR YOUR INTERVENTION AND URGENT CALL FOR ACTION SIR.
RE: SENATOR STELLA ODUAH “FURTHER PERFECTS” PLAN WITH HER CO “CONSPIRATORS” WITHIN AND OUTSIDE JUDICIARY TO STALL HER ARRAIGNMENT FOR THE 14TH TIME ON THURS,15TH JUNE,2023 BEFORE JUSTICE EKWO EKWO OF FEDERAL HIGH COURT ABUJA(CHARGE NO: FHC/ABJ/CS/316/2020) AMID ALLEGATIONS OF COMPROMISE.
We are a non-profitable, Non-Governmental organisation fully committed to fighting corruption in Nigeria, as well as promoting democratic ideals.
Sir, kindly note that the planned arraignment of a former Minister of Aviation, Senator Stella Oduah on the N7.9bn money laundering charges on 15th June 2023 may be stalled for the fourteenth (14th) consecutive time before Justice Ekwo Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja.
This is because a very credible and intelligent source confirmed that Senator Stella Oduah and other “powerful forces” within and outside the judiciary have perfected plans for her not to enter the witness box to take her plea on 15th June,2023.
This made Senator Stella Oduah and her Co- conspirators to send a decoy letter from Crystal Television (one of the defendants) to the EFCC Chairman dated 3lst May 2023, which was copied to Registrar, Federal High Court 7 Abuja, so that Justice Ekwo will use this as a further decoy to stop her from taking her plea on Thursday, 15th of June, 2023.
Sir, the amount of money that EFCC wants to prosecute Sen Stella Oduah and her lackey for is above N5.5 billion.
Hence, it is shocking to us that she and her cronies want to use a decoy of a refund total of less than N1 billion to stop her from entering the witness box to take her plea.
We thought that the correct thing to do is for Justice Ekwo Ekwo to allow her to take her plea before any other thing given that the matter has been taken to court.
Your Excellency Sir, it is most disheartening that this case was filed by EFCC on 17th Dec 2020 and was assigned to Justice Ekwo. But since then, yet Justice Ekwo Ekwo had severally aided Stella Oduah (allegedly) overtly and covertly not to enter the witness box to take her plea for almost 2 years and 6 months after filing of this case.
This credible intelligent report explains why the planned arraignment has failed 13 times on record after EFCC finished their investigation and filed the case at Federal High Court Abuja.
Excellency Sir, this well-rehearsed orchestrated script and drama that have been played for the past 3 years in the Federal High Court Abuja, before Justice Ekwo is a monumental disgrace and slap to the ANTI CORRUPTION CRUSADE OF THE APC LED FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
Despite the clear provision of the law especially section 396 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act ( ACJA 396) which provides that Defendant has to take a plea first before raising PRELIMINARY OBJECTION and also the clear letter of 6th May 2022 from the office of AGF that she should take her plea, yet she did not take a plea from December 2020 till date.
The letter from the Learned SAN, Chief Ogwuche .J.Onoja dated 30th May,2023( see Annexure “A”), should not be used as another ploy for the Justice Ekwo Ekwo of Federal High Court Abuja to further aide Senator Stella Oduah not to enter the witness box to take her plea.
We are left with no choice but to believe all she had bragged that she will never enter the witness box to take her plea so far from the case.
We are at a loss why the Chairman of EFCC has not directed the EFCC Prosecutors to apply to Chief Judge of Federal High Court Abuja to reassign this case (FHC/ABJ/CS/316/2020 FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA v STELLA ODUAH & 8 OTHERS) when it is very obvious that Justice Ekwo will not allow her to enter the witness box to take her plea.
PRAYER
(1) Use your good office to liaise with the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chief Judge of Federal High Court Abuja and other persons you may deem necessary to unravel the “mystery” and “reasons” that made it possible that Justice Ekwo never allowed Senator Stella Oduah to be arraigned,2 years and 6 months after EFCC filed this case.
(2) Sir, kindly direct the Chairman of EFCC and EFCC Prosecutors to stand firm for Sen Stella Oduah to take her plea and for the speedy trial of the case
Excellency Sir, please accept the assurances of our esteemed regards.
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