BREAKING: EFCC Names GEJ Female Minister Whose Housemaid Account Contains Stolen N2.5b

Agents of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have discovered the sum of N2.5 billion in a bank account opened in the name of a housemaid to former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, who is now a senator representing Anambra State in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Two senior EFCC sources told our correspondent that the bank account and its huge deposits had been opened and operated without the knowledge of the former minister’s housemaid. “Senator Oduah apparently opened the account with her housemaid’s name, image, and details without the housemaid knowing about it,” said one EFCC agent familiar with the scandal. 

Another EFCC source told SaharaReporters that Ms. Oduah had been going around to some top officials of the Muhammadu Buhari administration seeking their help to scuttle her impending trial. Last week, she asked for a meeting with EFCC chairman Ibrahim Magu, claiming she wanted to meet in her official capacity as a senator. 

The two EFCC sources who briefed our correspondent on the “housemaid” account disclosed that Ms. Oduah was the sole signatory to the account, adding that they were still connecting the dots to uncover how the ex-Aviation Minister managed to pull off such a money laundering operation. 

“As of last week, the account was still active and contained over N2.5 billion,” said one EFCC source. He added that he could not ascertain whether the EFCC chairman, who is currently traveling in Saudi Arabia for lesser hajj, had ordered the freezing of the account.

One of our EFCC sources revealed that the discovery of the “maid” account meant that the former minister must have stolen as much as N5.6 billion so far from the Aviation Ministry’s funds during her ministerial term.

SaharaReporters had revealed in earlier reports that EFCC investigators had so far determined that Ms. Oduah split N3.6 billion that she acquired illegally among eight companies. 

In August 2015, Ms. Oduah filed an application at a Federal High Court to stop the EFCC from investigating allegations that she bought two ostensibly bulletproof BMW cars at $1.6 million, or $800,000 apiece. A controversial judge, Justice Mohammed Yunusa, initially granted the order sought by Senator Oduah. However, in February 2016, after Justice Yunusa was transferred out of Lagos, another federal high court judge vacated the order, permitting the EFCC to carry on with its investigation. 

SaharaReporters had broken the report about the BMW scam during Ms. Oduah’s ministerial tenure. Several BMW dealers in Europe and North America told our reporters that what the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) paid for the two BMW cars far exceeded the price ranges for such bulletproof automobiles. 

Ms. Oduah is a close ally of embattled Senate President Bukola Saraki, who is the defendant in two criminal trials in Abuja pertaining to forgery and false declaration of assets.

Sahara Reporters

BREAKING: AGF Breaks Silence On Abia State Guber Conundrum; Gives Fresh Order, Distance Self

Angered at rumours making the round that he is behind the legal logjam at the Abia State of the governorship seat, the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami has ordered both parties involved to awaits the decision of the court.

Mr. Malami through in a statement issues and signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. COMRADE SALIHU OTHMAN ISAH, express his dissatisfaction for dragging him to the Abia State conundrum.

 He particular accused some session of the media for supporting and helping peddle what he described as " the insinuations and crass lies".

He statement read:

"The attention of the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has been drawn to the insinuations and crass lies being peddled and disseminated by a cross-section of Nigerians and the various media platforms that the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation is behind the legal logjam over the Abia state governorship seat and wish to clarify that those canvassing this position have no basis to do so."

"Of particular concern are those who have peddled ill-natured rumours with a view to misinform our discerning populace that the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and by extension, the Federal Government of Nigeria that gave directives to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue Certificate of Return to Dr. Uchechukwu Ogah declaring him Governor-Elect. He has definitely not taken any action either by spoken words or body language as far as this Abia governorship crisis is concerned."

"I wish to therefore, on behalf of my principal declare that these rumours are untrue and a figment of the imagination of those pushing these selfish, shameless and irredeemable lies into public space which only translates to partisanship on the side of its purveyors."

"As far as the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation is concerned, the constitutional powers for the legal opinion of his office have not been invoked on this issue. So far, nobody has approached him to proffer any legal opinion to it. As a strong believer in the rule of law, it is his belief that the law should naturally take its cause. The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation will not be dragged into this controversy and mind-games being played out by the various legal minds and spin doctors of both camps at this point." 

"The parties involved should await the decision of the courts." 

"In fact, we wish to by this statement advice those in the habit of dragging the highly esteemed Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice into knotty issue of this kind even when it is yet to take a position. They should desist from these unwarranted presumptions henceforth." 

Mr. Ogah had challenged the emergence of the state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, as the winner of the Peoples Democratic Party’s ticket in the gubernatorial primaries held in December 2014.

Mr. Ogah said Mr. Ikpeazu had defaulted on his taxes, adding that he submitted fraudulent tax documents to qualify as a candidate in the primaries.

In a verdict delivered by Abang Okon, the FHC in Abuja found Mr. Ikpeazu guilty of the charges and ordered INEC to issue a certificate of return to Mr. Ogah to pave way for his swearing-in.

Mr. Ikpeazu appealed the judgment and notified INEC of the development.

But the electoral umpire went ahead to execute the order of the court, saying it never received any notice of appeal from Mr. Ikpeazu.

Soon as he was in receipt of his certificate of return, Mr. Ogah embarked on a journey to Umuahia, the state capital, to prepare grounds for his swearing-in on Friday.

But while on his way, Mr. Ogah received notifications that Mr. Ikpeazu had secured an injunction from an Abia State high court stopping the Chief Judge of the State, the President of the Customary Court of Appeal and any other judicial officer from swearing in Mr. Ogah as governor.

Mr. Ikpeazu also declared a public holiday for Friday and Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday had already been declared public holidays by the federal government.

Mr. Ogah’s efforts to get sworn-in as governor on Friday morning was thwarted by the absence of the state’s Chief Judge, Theresa Uzoukwu.

Also on Friday morning, INEC finally acknowleged it is in possession of a notice of appeal from Mr. Ikpeazu, but said it did not include a notice of stay-of-execution order from the court.

The uncertainties prompted the police to intensify security activities across the state, its spokesperson said.

Don Awunah, the newly-appointed Force Public Relations Officer, said the police were on the ground to ensure that a peaceful atmosphere is maintained.

More Hard Time Looms As PENGASAN Sets To Resume Strike on Wednesday, Accused Kachikwu Of...

New Telegraph - Barring any last-minute agreement, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASAN) will embark on an indefinite strike action on Wednesday, in order to protest the way and manner the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has been running the oil sector since assuming office.

It was learnt that the National Leadership of PENGASAN met in Kaduna yesterday to strategise on how to prosecute a successful all out strike immediately after the Sallah holiday.

According to an insider, senior Staff of the petroleum sector are particularly angry with Dr. Kachikwu over Federal Government’s failure to fund its Joint Venture Companies (JVC) with multinational oil companies.

The source told our correspondent, “Already, the multi nationals are threatening to lay off staff and this will affect our members mostly. You will recall that we had embarked on a warning strike sometimes back but the issues have not been addressed.”

The source, who doesn’t want to be named, accused the Minister of running a “one man show “as he doesn’t consult anyone regarding how the oil sector should operate.

“The management style of Kachikwu has pitched him against most senior Staff and experts in the Industry,” the source said. Our correspondent also learnt that the Minister’s decision to transfer all the management staff of PPMC to Abuja since last year, has been another source of friction between Kachikwu and PENGASAN.

“The management staff of PPMC are redundant in Abuja because they have nothing to do, having been deployed there without any clear cut reason for doing so,” he added.

He pointed out that although citizens will be faced with another round of fuel scarcity, it has become necessary to embark on the strike in order to save the industry from collapse, owing to Kachikwu’s alleged high handedness.

According to him, the strike is a necessary inconvenience which will highlight the problems in the oil sector, contrary to what the Minister is making the government to believe. As at the time of filing this report, the National leadership of PENGASAN was still meeting at its secretariat along Constitution Road, Kaduna.

Diversification of the Economy: Benue Gov. Ortom Goes Farming On Large Scale

The Benue State Governor, Mr. Samuel Ortom has keyed into the Federal Government clamour for the diversification of the economy by establishing a multi-million naira farm in the state.

The farm which is located at Adaka, Along Naka Road, Makurdi is currently producing cash crops, arable, livestock and fish farming.

Visiting the farm yesterday, with his entourage, Governor Ortom expressed his optimism that the farm, apart from being a means to diversify the State's economy, it will in no small way creates employment opportunity for so many Benue citizens and residents and as well boosts food production in Nigeria.

The Governor urged every Nigerian should go back to farming, especially now that the mono-economy depence of Nigeria is already failing the nation.

While addressing some reporters who accopmanied him to the farm, the governor said; 

"There is no better way to take Nigeria back to her glorious days than going back to farming. As we all witnessing now, the over dependent on oil has done this country no good. The oils are drying up, its market price flip-floping on the nagative side, except we go back to farming, our economy woe may linger on", Ortom said

The governor, however urged the Benue Civil Servant to ensure they use the Friday farming holiday judiciously by ensuring to invest their strength and resources in farming. He lamented that while some civil servants have already keyed into the idea, others are busy using the Friday farming holiday as a day of partying and roaming around from one beer parlour to another.

The Governor who was accompanied by  Benue State  Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice  Bar Mike Gusa, The Executive Secretary of State Emergency Agency(SEMA) Hon Boniface Ortese, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties Hon.Abraham Kwaghngu and many others.

The Governor  was taken round the farm by the farm manager and CEO of Oracle Group Mr.Michael Ortom.

Governor Ortom also inspected the new Dam at Adaka. 

See more photos below