Court demands information on Oduah’s cars

A Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday ordered Coscharis Motors Limited to release information regarding the two bullet-proof cars purchased by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority for a former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, in 2013.

Justice Mohammed Yunusa gave the order in a judgment delivered in a suit filed by a non-governmental organisation, Enough-is-Enough, seeking an order compelling Coscharis Motors to make available to it documents on the two cars purchased for Oduah with about N256m.

The organisation said it commenced the action following the refusal of the company to honour its request via a letter dated October 28, 2013.

It prayed the court to compel the Attorney General of the Federation to commence criminal proceedings against Coscharis for alleged wrongful denial of access to information in contravention of Section 7(5) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.

However, Coscharis, in opposition to the plaintiff’s prayers, argued being an indigenous private limited liability company with no government investment, the FOI Act could not be binding on it.

The company’s counsel, Mr. Ndubuisi Chito, said his client did not enjoy any type of government subvention could not be categorised as a public service outfit, which might be subject to sections that the applicant relied upon.