The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday arraigned Senator Stella Oduah, a former minister of aviation, with a graft charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Oduah, who held the position of Aviation Minister from 2011 to 2014, is being tried on suspicion of conspiring with eight other people to launder over N5 billion in public funds.
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But on Friday, the court mandated that the prosecution of Oduah, her former assistant Gloria Odita, and seven other people accused of launderng nearly N5 billion be taken up by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation.
Oduah and the other defendants were arraigned and entered not guilty pleas to the 25 counts before Justice Inyang Ekwo, the presiding court, who then issued the ruling.
Charged alongside Oduah and Odita, in the 25-count charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/316/2020 are Nwosu Emmanuel Nnamdi, Chukwuma Irene Chinyere, Global Offshore and Marine Ltd, Tip Top Global Resources Ltd, Crystal Television Ltd, Sobora International Ltd and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Nigeria Ltd.
On Friday, Justice Ekwo said the controversy surrounding the prosecution of the case informed his decision for the AGF to take over the case.
He directed the EFCC to transfer the case file to the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation to ensure diligent prosecution of the defendants.
Justice Ekwo adjourned the case till October 17 for trial.
