Court Arraigns Stella Oduah, Aide Over Alleged ₦2.4bn Financial Scam

Former Aviation Minister Stella Oduah and her associate, Gloria Odita, were brought before an Abuja High Court on Wednesday over allegations of fraud totaling ₦2.469 billion. The defendants are facing multiple charges linked to claims that public funds were illegally obtained in 2014.

Prosecutors allege that the duo used two firms — Broad Waters Resources Nigeria Ltd and Global Offshore Marine Ltd — to secure payments for services described as technical supervision, security integration, and logistics support, which authorities say were never genuinely delivered.

The charges state that an initial payment of ₦839.78 million was allegedly collected in January 2014, followed by another ₦1.629 billion in February for similar services. Oduah is further accused of diverting funds originally approved for a separate contract with a security company during her tenure as minister.

Both Oduah and Odita pleaded not guilty to all charges. Their legal teams applied for bail, which the prosecution did not contest. The court granted bail on self-recognition, ordered the defendants to surrender their travel documents, restricted their movement, and fixed the commencement of trial for February 2026.