A Federal High in Abuja has warned that former Aviation Minister, Stellah Oduah and eight others named in a N10 billion fraud, risk arrest should they fail to attend court on the next adjourned date.
Justice Inyang Ekwo gave the warning on Monday when Oduah (now a serving Senator, representing Anambra North Senatorial District) and some other defendants were absent at the proceedings with no explanation from their lawyers
Named with Oduah, as defendants in the charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/316/2020 are Gloria Odita, Nwosu Emmanuel Nnamdi, Chukwuma Irene Chinyere, Global Offshore and Marine Ltd, Tip Top Global Resources Ltd, Crystal Television Ltd, Sobora International Ltd and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) Nigeria Ltd.
In the 25-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC, the nine defendants are accused, among others, of engaging in the laundering of about N10billion.
They are particularly charged with conspiracy, money laundering and maintaining anonymous bank accounts with an old generation bank.
At the mention of the case on Monday, the court noted only the second and third defendants (Gloria Odita, Nwosu Emmanuel Nnamdi) were present.
The development prompted the prosecuting lawyer, Hassan Liman (SAN) to complain about the absence of the other defendants without any explanation from their lawyers.