Alleged ₦4bn fraud: EFCC to arraign ex-Anambra governor, Obiano, Jan. 24

The immediate-past governor of Anambra State, Mr. Willie Obiano, will be arraigned before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The ex-governor will be arraigned over alleged money laundering to the tune of N4,008,573,350, which he was reported to have moved from security votes into different accounts.

The development comes over a week after the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, vowed to review all abandoned high-profile cases, especially those involving former governors and ministers.

EFCC’s lead counsel, Slyvanus Tahir (SAN), will lead eight other lawyers in the trial of the former governor.

Some of the charges against Obiano read: “That you, Chief Willie Maduabuchi Obiano, whilst being the executive governor of Anambra State of Nigeria between March 2014 – March 2022, sometime between February 7, 2018 to February 18, 2019, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, indirectly transferred through Mr Willie Nwokoye, your then principal private secretary, the sum of N156,800,000 from the Anambra State Government Security Vote Account No: 5030050875 domiciled in Fidelity Bank Pic into the Fidelity Bank Plc Account No: 6060018819 belonging to C.I. Patty Ventures Nigeria Limited (an entity that had no business relationship with the Anambra State Government), which you reasonably ought to have known that such funds formed part of the proceeds of your unlawful act, to wit: (Stealing and Corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) in 2012 and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.

“That you, Chief Willie Maduabuchi Obiano, whilst being the executive governor of Anambra State of Nigeria between March 2014 — March 2022, sometime between 9th August, 2017 to 4th March, 2020 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, indirectly transferred through Mr Willie Nwokoye, your then principal private secretary, the sum of N261,268,585.00 from the Anambra State Government Security Vote Account No: 5030050875 domiciled in Fidelity Bank Plc into the Fidelity Bank Plc Account No: 5600062873 belonging to Easy Diamond Integrated Link (an entity that had no business relationship with the Anambra State Government), which funds were dissipated for purposes unrelated / unconnected with the security affairs of Anambra State, which you reasonably ought to have known that such funds formed part of the proceeds of your unlawful act, to wit: (Stealing and Corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) in 2012 and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.”

Persecondnews recalls that the ex-governor was arrested at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos, on March 17, 2022, when he was preparing to board a flight to Houston, the United States of America, a few hours after he left office as governor.