Police Lawyer Files Alleged Frivolous Criminal Charges Against Senator Oduah

A drama erupted at the Federal High Court in Abuja, when a Judge, Justice James Omotosho handed a police lawyer, Ibrahim Mohammed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for filing a criminal charge against Senator Stella Adaeze Oduah.

The police lawyer is to be investigated for filing the 8-count criminal charges against the former Minister of Aviation in the name of EFCC without the authority of the anti-graft agency.

Although, the embattled lawyer who left the EFCC since November last year admitted errors in filing the controversial charges with the name of the anti-graft agency, the Judge nonetheless ordered that the genuiness of his errors must be established through investigation.

Justice Omotosho had queried the police lawyer on whether the anti-graft agency was in the know of the charges since it was being prosecuted by the Police.

Senator Oduah was expected to be arraigned before the court on an eight count charge bordering on alleged complicity surrounding her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate and fraud.

However, when the matter was called Stella Oduah was not in court and the Judge sought to know why she was absent in court.

Responding, Mohammed who introduced himself as a lawyer with the Police Legal Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja, told the court that the defendant was not in court because she has not been served with the charge adding that Senator Oduah had told them she was not feeling well when invited to come for the case.

The police lawyer who suddenly became incoherent in answering questions from the Judge admitted that he left EFCC since November 2022 at the Benin office for the Force Headquarters on redeployment back to the Nigerian Police Force.

Justice Omotoso who was not pleased with the claim of the error ordered his Registrar to bring the head of police unit at the Federal High Court into the court room.

Further hearing in the matter was shifted to July 18 when the anti-graft agency must have completed its investigation and report back to the court.

Garry Ochigbo, Edited By Grace Namiji