N255M BMW bullet proof cars: Stella Oduah set to know fate
26th Jan. 2016
– Ex-Minister of Aviation Stella Oduah will know her fate on February in the N255M bullet proof cars scandal.
– Oduah seeks to stop her prosecution over the two armoured BMW cars purchased in 2013
– Justice Abang to return to Lagos on February 2, 2016 to deliver judgment.
A Federal High Court in Lagos will on February 2 deliver judgment in a suit filed by Senator Stella Oduah, the senator representing Anambra North in the National Assembly, seeking to stop her prosecution over the two armoured BMW cars purchased for N255million during her tenure as Minister for Aviation in 2013.
In an exclusive chat with a media, Oduah had made some clarification on the N255M BMW scandal. According to her, the Ministry of Avation did not buy BMW as the car was a lease vehicle to the parastatal, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
Afrogalleria recalls that recalls that Oduah had on August 26, 2015 obtained an order of preliminary injunction from Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court in Lagos, restraining the defendants from taking any action against her pending the final determination of the suit.
However, the suit which was initially fixed for judgment by Justice Okon Abang, could not proceed on Monday, January 25 owing to the transfer of the presiding judge from Lagos to the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, The Punch reports.
Justice Abang, who was moved from Lagos to Abuja early this month, had on December 1, 2015 fixed Monday for judgment in the case after taking arguments from all the parties in the suit. But erstwhile registrars to the judge, told The Punch that Justice Abang would return to Lagos on February 2, 2016 to deliver the judgment.
In the suit, which she filed in July last year, Oduah is praying the court to bar the federal government from investigating her over two armoured BMW cars reportedly procured at N255m in 2013 by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority during her tenure as Aviation Minister.
Aside the AGF, other respondents in the suit are the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission; the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission; and the Inspector General of Police.
Oduah alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress government had perfected plans to use the EFCC, ICPC, the AGF and the police to persecute and humiliate her under the guise of fighting an anti-graft war.
According to her, the APC government had perfected plans to prosecute prominent members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, including herself, on trumped-up charges in a Lagos State government-controlled court.
To this regard, Oduah urged the court to stop the defendants from being used against her by the federal government.
However, in a swift response, the AGF and the Inspector General of Police subsequently filed a preliminary objection, contending that Oduah failed to establish any cause of action against them, having been unable to prove that she had been invited, arrested or detained by the AGF and the IGP.
While on its own part, the EFCC, through its counsel, G.K. Latana, also described Oduah’s suit as baseless and speculative, urging the court to dismiss it.
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