Here's why EFCC seized ex minister's passport

Senator Stella Oduah was questioned for several hours last Wednesday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); before having her travelling passport seized.

“Senator Stella Oduah returned for the second round of questioning on Wednesday. After intense grilling, she was allowed to go home on the condition that she turns in her passport to the EFCC”, a senior official at the anti-graft agency told Punch newspaper.

“She was asked to return to the EFCC on a future date for more questioning”, the official reportedly added.

A tale of billions

Oduah is being investigated by the EFCC for allegedly awarding dubious contracts worth some N9.4bn during her stint as Aviation Minister in the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Specifically, diverting N3.9bn from the N9.4bn meant for the installation of security devices at 22 airports.

She denies the allegations, however.

In February,Oduah threatened to sue authors of a story concerning her long drawn battle with the EFCC.

The story had stated that Senator Oduah who chairs the Senate Committee on Cooperation and Integration was evading invitations by the EFCC to defend a N9.4bn contract awarded during her time as Aviation Minister.

Politics

Oduah described the story as “mischievous and mere fabrication” and a political game being played by her detractors.

“The season of politics is here again and some people must play the politics of pull down syndrome, this is what perhaps informed the fabrications in the story,” Oduah said.

“How else do you explain that a serving senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a law abiding citizen, a chief executive officer of multinational companies, would be evasive to honour an invitation if not a mere mischief that is informed by dirty politics?

“Even the publication did not say that I stole any government money or awarded contracts to myself,” she added.

BMW cars

In 2013, Oduah approved the purchase of two luxury BMW cars worth N225m by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in breach of the Public Procurement Act.

The scandal bordering on the luxury car purchases would eventually cost her her job in the Jonathan cabinet.