N255m Bulletproof Cars Scandal: Court Okays Stella Oduah’s Arrest

[caption id="attachment_12473" align="alignnone" width="699"]Stella Oduah, former Minister of Aviation[/caption]

A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, dismissed an application filed by a former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, asking for an order to stop the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the police from arresting her.

Oduah allegedly purchased armoured vehicles worth N255 million while she was in office.

She prayed the court to stop the Attorney-General of the Federation’s office, the EFCC and the police from “inviting, arresting, investigating or prosecuting” her over the purchase of two armoured BMW vehicles at the cost of N255m by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority under her watch as the aviation minister in 2013.

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But in his judgement on Wednesday, Justice Abdu Kafarati upheld the objection raised by the respondents, to the effect that the court lacked the requisite jurisdiction to hear the case.

He held that that no court had the power to stop security agencies from carrying out their duty of investigation.

He said, “It is not grantable by this court because the court cannot stop security agencies from carrying out their duties. There is no way a person can be investigated without being invited by the body charged with the responsibility of investigation.

“In most cases, the invitation is even in the interest of the invitee because he or she will have the opportunity of giving his or her side of the story.

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“I therefore hold that the application seeking to stop security agencies from inviting, investigating, arresting and/or prosecuting any person suspected to have committed an offence does not constitute a fundamental right action.”

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