The Federal Government has filed an eight-count charge against former Minister of Aviation Stella Oduah at a Federal High Court in Abuja, accusing her of falsely claiming to have lost her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate, among other things.
The charge was filed on June 26, 2023, according to court documents made available on Monday.
This comes barely 13 months after the NYSC claimed that the former Anambra North did not complete the mandatory one-year programme.
One of the counts read, “That you SENATOR STELLA ODUAH AND D.A.O OSHINOWO (at large) sometime in the year, 2017, at Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did conspires amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: make a document titled ‘Re: Request for National Youth Service Confirmation Which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 3(6) of the miscellaneous offences Act CAF M17 of the revised edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) 2007 and Punishable under section 3 (1) (c) of the same Act.”
In another count, the Federal Government alleged “that you SENATOR STELLA ODUAH sometime in the year, 2011 at Federal Capital Territory, Abuja Within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did forward your credential to Federal Government of Nigeria among which is an affidavit and Extract from police Crime Diary, that you lost your National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Certificate the representation you know to be false which led to your nomination as a cabinet Minister and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 39 (2) (a) and punishable under Section 39(2)(b) of the same Act.
One of the other counts reads, “That you SENATOR STELLA ODUAH sometime in the year, 2011 at Federal Capital Territory, Abuja ithin the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did forward your credential to Federal Government of Nigeria among which is an affidavit and Extract from police Crime Diary, that you lost your National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Certificate the representation you know to be false which led to your nomination as a cabinet Minister and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 157 of the Penal Code Act and punishable under Section 158 (1) of the same Act.”
Old Wounds?
Last year, a senatorial aspirant in Anambra, Mr John Emeka, sued Oduah at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order invalidating her nomination as a Senatorial Candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party in Anambra State.
In the originating summons, Emeka prayed the court to declare that the information supplied by Oduah in her INEC Form CF001, with respect to her participation in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, was false.
He alleged that the former minister lied under oath in both her expression of interest and nomination forms, including in the INEC Form CF001 which she submitted to the commission for the 2023 Anambra North Senatorial District seat.
The aspirant said she had, under oath, used the same information to participate in the previous elections as the PDP’s candidate for the 2015 and 2019 Anambra North Senatorial District polls.
According to him, the act contravened Sections 12(1)(a)(b)(c) and 13(1)(a) of the NYSC Act.
He further prayed the court to declare that by reason of the false information given in her INEC Form CF 001 in respect of her participation in the NYSC Scheme, she was not qualified to have contested in the said elections and or any other election into the Nigerian Senate.
However, the court, in a judgement delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo on November 22, 2022, dismissed the suit for being status barred.
See court documents from the Federal Government’s suit below:
