A former Minister of Aviation, Senator Stella Oduah, has justified the 2013 purchase of two bulletproof BMW cars by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
She told the Federal High Court in Lagos that the cars were not bought for her personal use.
The court, however, restrained anti-graft agencies from inviting her for questioning concerning the purchase.
The vehicles were said to have cost N255million, an amount that sparked outrage.
Justice Mohammed Yunusa barred the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from arresting Oduah until her suit is determined.
The judge also stopped the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Inspector-General of Police from inviting the former minister for interrogation.
Oduah, who represents Anambra North in the Senate, said there was a move by the respondents to persecute and humiliate her.
She, however, explained that the vehicles were bought for the use of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) officials, who were in the country to inspect and certify the 22 airports being rehabilitated under her watch.
According to her, the vehicles were acquired to safeguard the foreign officials lives so that they would not be bombed, attacked or abducted by the rampaging Boko Haram insurgents, who were creating havoc in the Northeast.
Oduah said the bulletproof cars were especially necessary because the visit of the airport inspectors coincided with “the peak of Boko Haram terrorists’ menace in the country, when the United Nations building and the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force were bombed in Abuja.”
“It was thus imperative that the NCAA, which is an apex regulatory authority in the Nigerian aviation industry, operating under the SARPs of the ICAO and subject to assessment by ICAO, acquire its own armoured vehicles for the use of the ICAO officials coming for inspection and certification at the time,” Oduah said.
She added that the bullet-proof vehicles were captured in the 2013 budget, adding that they were duly procured in line with the Bureau of Public Procurement regulations.
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