NYSC scandal: EFCC disowns fresh charge against ex-Aviation Minister, Oduah

The anti-graft agency disowned an Assistant Commissioner of Police, ASP, Ibrahim Mohammed, who signed the charge on behalf of the Federal Government.

The Commission told the court that it did not at any time, authorise the lawyer, Mohammed, to file any criminal charge against Oduah who hitherto represented Anambra North in the Senate.

It will be recalled that trial Justice James Omotosho had on July 11, ordered the EFCC to probe the police lawyer who signed the eight-count charge against the former lawmaker.

Oduah was in the charge, accused of making a false claim through an affidavit, that she lost her National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, certificate.

According to the charge, it was based on the false representation in the said affidavit and an extract from Police Crime Diary, that she was nominated to serve as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Oduah, who served as Aviation Minister from 2011 to 2014, was alleged to have conspired with one D. A. Oshinowo, who is currently at large, to fabricate an incorrect document and forward same to FG with the intent that it may be acted upon as genuine, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 156 of the Penal Code Act.

More so, she was accused of obtaining by pretense, contrary to section 17(a) of EFCC Act.

However, a mild drama played out in court when the case was called up for the defendant to be arraigned.

Whereas ASP Mohammed signed the charge as a member of the Legal & Prosecution Department of the EFCC, however, in a written address he attached in support of the case, he identified himself as the Head, IGP Monitoring Unit, the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Abuja.

Mohammed, who announced himself as the prosecution counsel in the matter, said his appearance was for the police.

He told the court that the defendant, Oduah, was not in court, adding that the Investigating Police Officer, IPO, in charge of the case, said he was unable to effect service of the charge on her.

Shortly after the counsel announced his appearance, trial Justice Omotosho queried him on the discrepancy he observed in the court documents.

While admitting that he signed the charge, ASP Mohammed told the court that he was previously seconded to the EFCC but later deployed back to the police in November 2022.

He told the court that he resumed at the legal department of police headquarters in January 2023.

Not satisfied with the explanation, Justice Omotosho sought further explanation on why a charge that was filed by the EFCC was being prosecuted by the police.

The judge further noted that ASP Mohammed signed the charge for the EFCC, about seven months after he purportedly returned to the police

“How will any reasonable man believe you?” the judge queried.

“You will go to EFCC and explain. Let us investigate this matter. I call for an investigation,” Justice Omotosho added.

Despite the lawyer’s claim that he mistakenly wrote EFCC on the charge, trial Justice Mohammed ordered the anti-graft agency to investigate the matter and report back to the court.

Meanwhile, at the resumed proceedings on Tuesday, a lawyer from the EFCC, Helen Okonofua, told the court that the police lawyer had no mandate from the Commission to file the charge against Oduah.

Okonofua confirmed that though ASP Mohammed was initially posted to the EFCC, he had since November 4, 2022, been redeployed back to the police.

She added that following the order of the court, the Commission investigated the police lawyer and filed the report of its findings at the Registry.

Consequently, trial Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter till October 4 to enable the EFCC to formally submit the said report of its investigation to the court.

One of the counts in the controversial fresh charge against Senator Oduah, which was dated June 22, read: “That you, Senator Stella Oduah, sometime in the year 2011- 2023, at Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the aggregate sum of salaries and allowances as Minister and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, from the Federal Government of Nigeria under the pretence of being qualified with your credentials, the pretence you knew or ought to know to be false and thereby committed an offences contrary to Section 1/1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related Offence Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

Oduah is equally facing a separate 25-count charge the EFCC preferred against her before the court over an allegation that she laundered public funds to the tune of about N7.9 billion, in connivance with eight other defendants.

Trial Justice Inyang Ekwo had slated July 21 to take her plea on the charge.