A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday dismissed an application filed
by a former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, seeking to stop the
Federal Government from investigating her for alleged corruption.
Justice Adamu Kafarati held that the fundamental rights enforcement suit
filed by Oduah was without merit and bereft of any cause of action.
The judge upheld the objection raised by the respondents, arguing that the
court lacks the requisite jurisdiction to hear the case.
Oduah, now a serving Senator from Anambra State, in the suit urged the
court to declare illegal the alleged plot by the respondents to arrest,
investigate and prosecute her in relation to her activities in office.
The Attorney General of Police (AGF), Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC), the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the
Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)
are listed as respondents in the case.
Justice Kafarati, in upholding the preliminary objection by the AGF and
the IGP, agreed with them that Oduah could not come under the fundamental
rights procedure to seek the reliefs sought in the case.
He said the subject matter of the case was not a fundamental rights issue.
The judge agreed that Oduah cannot seek to restrain statutory bodies from
performing their statutory responsibilities through a fundamental rights
enforcement application.