EFCC sues Stella Oduah over alleged document fabrication, felony, others

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has sued a former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah over an eight-count charge at a Federal High Court in Abuja.

These charges filed on Monday, June 26, include eight counts related to allegations of document fabrication, conspiracy to commit a felony, and other offences.

The eight-count charges come amidst a controversy surrounding the alleged falsification of documents by the former Anambra North senator, suggesting that she completed the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.

The suit was filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, by Ochugwu Ogbeh W.A. Esq. and Ibrahim Mohammed Esq. of the Legal and Prosecution Department of the EFCC in Edo State, with the Federal Government of Nigeria as the Complainant and Oduah as the only Defendant.

One of the charges alleges that former Senator Oduah and D.A.O. OSHINOWO (at large) conspired to commit a felony in 2017.

They are accused of fabricating a document titled “Re: Request for National Youth Service Confirmation” while knowing it was false.

According to the charges, the act is punishable under Section 3(1)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act CAF M17 of the revised edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) 2007.

Another count claims that Oduah, sometime in the year 2011, submitted her credentials to the Federal Government of Nigeria, including an affidavit and an extract from the police crime diary, falsely claiming that she lost her NYSC certificate, knowing that this representation was untrue.

This action led to her nomination as a Cabinet Minister, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 39(2)(a) and punishable under Section 39(2)(b) of the same Act.

Additionally, one of the other counts states, “That you, Senator Stella Oduah, sometime in the year 2011, in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, forwarded your credentials to the Federal Government of Nigeria, including an affidavit and an extract from the police crime diary, falsely claiming that you lost your National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Certificate, a representation you knew to be false, which led to your nomination as a Cabinet Minister, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 157 of the Penal Code Act and punishable under Section 158 (1) of the same Act.”

In May 2022, NYSC made a revelation that Senator Oduah did not fulfil the requirement of completing the mandatory one-year NYSC programme.

NYSC disclosed this in a letter marked NYSC/DHQ/PPRU/783/Vol III. The NYSC said in a letter signed by its spokesperson, Eddy Megwa, that Oduah began her NYSC programme in 1982 but absconded.

The letter was in response to an inquiry by a group known as the Concerned Anambra North PDP Stakeholders.

The group had written a letter to the NYSC accusing some officials of the agency of colluding with Oduah to hide the truth.

In its response, titled ‘Re: Doubtful NYSC Participation Collusion of Some Unscrupulous NYSC Staff Concerning Stella Adaeze Oduah (Senator), Save the Image and Reputation of the Scheme,’ the NYSC denied colluding with Oduah to hide the truth.

Oduah, who served as Minister of Aviation before being relieved of her duties by former President Goodluck Jonathan, also came under scrutiny in January 2014 when Sahara Reporters quoted authorities at St. Paul’s College, where Oduah claimed she studied for Bachelor’s and Masters degrees, as saying they did not award her an MBA at any time because the university does not even have a graduate school or graduate programme.