EFCC disowns lawyer prosecuting Stella Oduah

Forum 9 months ago

EFCC disowns lawyer prosecuting Stella Oduah

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has disowned a lawyer, Ibrahim Mohammed, who filed forgery charges in the name of the anti-graft agency against a former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah.

The EFCC on Tuesday told the Federal High Court in Abuja that Mohammed, a Superintendent of Police, was not mandated to file any criminal charge against Oduah or prosecute her in any criminal matter.

Counsel for the EFCC, Helen Okonofun, told Justice James Omotoso that the police lawyer had been investigated by the EFCC as ordered by the judge last week.

She said the report of the findings would be filed at the court registry and be made available to the court thereafter.

According to the counsel, Mohammed was initially with the EFCC but was redeployed from the agency to the police headquarters on November 4, 2022 and had nothing to do with the EFCC since then.

In a short ruling, Justice Omotoso fixed October 4, 2023, for the EFCC to formally make the report of the findings available to the court.

Recall that the judge had last Tuesday ordered the EFCC to probe Mohammed and determine whether he was authourised to file charges against Oduah.

The eight counts he filed against the ex-minister bordered on forgery of National Youth Service Corps certificate.

But the judge began to ask questions after noticing some flaws in the court process.

Justice Omotoso queried the lawyer whether he had the mandate of the EFCC to file the charges.

Mohammed, who replied in the negative and was largely incoherent while answering questions, admitted that he errorneously filed the charges in the name of the EFCC.

Oduah, while speaking through her lawyer, James Onoja (SAN), last week, described the charges as strange.

According to Onoja, the charges against his client “have no proof of evidence bearing her statement as required by law.”