Senator Stella Oduah
EFCC has disowned a Police Lawyer who filed criminal charges against Stella Oduah.
Newsone reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has disowned a police lawyer, Ibrahim Mohammed who filed a criminal charge against Senator Stella Adaeze Oduah, former Minister of Aviation in Nigeria.
This online news platform understands that the anti-graft agency told the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, that Mohammed, a Superintendent of Police was not mandated or authorised to file any criminal charges against Mrs Oduah who represents Anambra North in the Senate.
Heleen Okonofua, the counsel to the EFCC, informed Justice James Omotoso that the Police lawyer who claimed to have come from the Legal Department of the Force Headquarters was also not authorized by the anti-graft agency to represent it to prosecute Oduah in any criminal matter.
The EFCC counsel stated that Mohammed was initially with the EFCC but was de-seconded from EFCC back to the Police on November 4, 2022, and had since had nothing to do with the EFCC.
She also told the Court that the criminal charge filed on June 22, 2023, by the Police lawyer in the name of EFCC has no authority or approval of the agency.
The EFCC counsel informed Justice Omotoso that the Police lawyer had been investigated by EFCC as ordered by the Judge and that the report of the findings would be filed at the Registry of the Court and be made available to the court thereafter.
Justice Omotoso in a short ruling, fixed October 4, 2023, for the EFCC to formally make the report of the findings available to the court.
Newsone Nigeria recalls that Justice Omotoso had on Tuesday, July 11 handed the police lawyer over to the EFCC for filing frivolous criminal charges against the former Minister in the name of EFCC.
Justice Omotoso who noticed some flaws in the charges, had queried the police lawyer on whether he had the fiat of EFCC to file the charges which he answered negatively.
Mohammed who became incoherent while answering questions from the Judge admitted errors in using the name of EFCC to file the charges adding that he is a human being prone to errors.