Nigeria’s former Aviation Minister Stella Oduah has begun moves to refund part of the funds allegedly misappropriated in the N2.5 billion fraud case against her, signalling progress in settlement talks with the Federal Government.
At the Federal Capital Territory High Court on Thursday, the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, confirmed that Oduah and her co-defendant, Gloria Odita, had started returning the funds.
Although Mr Oyedepo did not disclose how much had been refunded, he said the government was awaiting confirmation of receipt of a bank draft submitted as part of the restitution.
Defence lawyers confirmed the development but declined to provide further details. The trial judge subsequently adjourned the case until March 26 for a status update.
The development comes three weeks after both parties informed the court that the defendants had applied to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation to open negotiations toward a possible settlement.
Filed under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, the application allows for plea bargaining which enables defendants to negotiate with prosecutors by pleading guilty in exchange for reduced charges, lighter punishment or restitution.
However, with the details of the talks yet to be disclosed, it remains unclear whether the case will end in a plea bargain or a withdrawal of the charges.
Prosecutors allege that Ms Oduah and Ms Odita fraudulently obtained N2.469 billion from the Federal Ministry of Aviation in January 2014 through two companies, falsely presenting the payments as costs for technical supervision, security integration and logistics support services.
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