Drama as EFCC denies its own lawyer in court, gives reason

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) denied its lawyer, Ibrahim Mohammed, who filed a fresh charge against Stella Oduah, the former minister of Aviation, in the name of the anti-graft agency.

The fresh charge bordered around perjury and document falsification, The Tribune reported.

Why EFCC denies its lawyer

But on Tuesday, July 18, H. A Okonofua, a lawyer to the EFCC, informed a federal high court in Abuja that the anti-graft agency knows nothing about the prosecution of Oduah by Mohammed, the sole defendant.

The former minister was not present at the court, but Okonofua, at the beginning of the hearing, told Justice James Omotosho, the presiding judge, that the agency's investigation revealed that “the counsel, Ibrahim Mohammed, was de-seconded back to Nigeria Police on 14 November 2022, and he was not sent to represent the EFCC to prosecute the defendant.”

But Justice Omotosho told Okonofua that such a report had not been brought before the court, and the lawyer admitted that it was late before the report was filed.

Court adjourns fresh suit between EFCC and Stell Oduah

The case was then adjourned till October 4, when the report of the investigation would have been placed before the court.

Also, the former minister maintained that she was unaware of any fresh criminal charges against her.

Oduah formerly represented the Anambra North senatorial district in the Red Chamber and said she had never been subjected to any kind of investigation by the Nigerian Police Force or any other security force in the country.