The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Maitama on Thursday discharged and acquitted former Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah, and her co-defendant of alleged N2.5 billion fraud after both parties entered into a plea bargain with the Federal Government.
The ruling, delivered by Justice Hamza Muazu, followed confirmation by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, that the defendants had complied with terms of the agreement, including refunding funds linked to the charges.
Prosecution counsel informed the court that the matter had been resolved through negotiations, prompting the government to discontinue charges against the individual defendants. The court subsequently granted applications for their discharge without objection.
However, the case took a different turn for two companies—Sobora International Limited and Global Offshore and Marine Limited—allegedly linked to the transactions. The firms pleaded guilty to amended charges involving unlawful possession of funds running into billions of naira, leading the court to convict them and order their winding up.
The case, which originated in 2020, had accused Oduah and others of financial misconduct amounting to about N2.5 billion. Recent proceedings revealed that the defendants opted for a plea bargain earlier in March, during which steps were taken to refund the disputed sums to government coffers.
Oduah, a former senator and aviation minister between 2011 and 2014, has previously faced scrutiny over public spending controversies during her time in office.
The outcome underscores the increasing use of plea bargaining in high-profile corruption cases in Nigeria, where restitution is sometimes prioritised over prolonged litigation.
