Respite came for former Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, on Thursday when a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at Maitama acquitted her of fraud charges preferred against her.

The court, in a ruling delivered by Justice Hamza Mu’azu, discharged the erstwhile minister alongside her former aide, Gloria Odita—a co-defendant in a five-count charge preferred against them by the Federal Government.

Oduah, who served as Aviation Minister from 2011 to 2014, and her aide were arraigned before the court in December 2025 on allegations of complicity in a N2.4 billion fraud.

Aside from alleged contract fraud, they faced charges of criminal breach of trust and obtaining money by false pretence—offences contrary to Sections 8(a) and 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud Act and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

Specifically, the FG alleged that the defendants conspired in 2014 to obtain a total of N2,469,030,738.90 from the Federal Ministry of Aviation through two firms—Broad Waters Resources Nigeria Ltd and Global Offshore Marine Ltd—under fraudulent claims.

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It was alleged that they claimed the funds were meant to cover costs for “technical supervision” as well as “security integrated and logistics support services,” knowing these representations to be false.

In count two of the charge, the FG alleged that on January 13, 2014, the defendants obtained the sum of ₦839,780,738.90 by falsely pretending that it represented the “Cost of Technical Supervision.”

In another count, it was alleged that the defendants obtained ₦1,629,250,000 from the Ministry on February 12, 2014, through Global Offshore Marine Ltd, claiming it was for “Security Integrated and Logistics Support Services”—a representation the prosecution said was false.

It was further alleged that the former minister dishonestly misappropriated funds earmarked for a contract awarded to a firm identified as 1-Sec Security Nigeria Ltd while in office.

However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to all counts.

At the resumed proceedings on March 5, the FG disclosed ongoing efforts for an out-of-court settlement.

Both the prosecution and the defence lawyers persuaded the court to suspend further hearings to allow time for a plea bargain.

Consequently, when the matter came up on Thursday, the prosecuting lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, informed the court that, based on the plea bargain deal between the parties, the FG had decided to discontinue the case against them.

However, Oyedepo, SAN, disclosed that an amended two-count charge had been filed against two firms—Sobora International Limited and Global Offshore and Marine Limited—which are linked to the ex-minister.

In the charge, Sobora International was accused of unlawfully possessing N838 million, while Global Offshore was alleged to have unlawfully possessed the sum of N1.629 billion.

Shortly after Justice Hamza Mu’azu discharged Oduah and Odita, the court took the pleas of the two companies on the amended charge.

Based on guilty pleas by the firms, the prosecutor urged the court not only to convict them but also to issue an order winding them up.

Oyedepo, SAN, further urged the court to order the forfeiture of N1.2 billion—paid as restitution by the companies (as detailed in a bank draft submitted to the court)—and N780 million recovered by investigators during the investigation, to the FG.

Counsel to the companies, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, did not oppose the application.

Justice Mu’azu therefore convicted the companies in his ruling and ordered that they be wound up.

The court equally ordered that the funds paid as restitution, as well as the N780 million recovered during the investigation, be forfeited to the FG.