Aviation minister Oduah admits buying N255m cars

The minister of aviation, Stella Oduah, has explained that threats to her life over reforms in the aviation sector and the general insecurity in the country prompted the purchase the two armoured BMW cars worth N127. 575 million each.

The online news portal, saharareporters, had claimed that it obtained documents which showed the paper trail of the transaction involving Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), First Bank and Coscharis Motors. The cars were purchased by NCAA from Coscharis Motors, paying through accounts with First Bank.

Special Assistant (Media) to the aviation minister, Joe Obi, told Punch that the vehicles were purchased to protect the minister from some external threats. He said the vehicles were procured in response to the clear and imminent threat to the minister's personal security and life following the bold steps she took to reposition the sector.

"When she came on board as the minister, she inherited a lot of baggage in terms of the concession and lease agreements in the sector, which were clearly not in the interest of the government and people of Nigeria.

"And so, she took bold steps and some of these agreements were reviewed and some were terminated, and these moves disturbed some entrenched interests in the sector, and within this period, she began to receive some imminent threats to her life; therefore, the need for the vehicles." Joe Obi said