EFCC To Arraign Former Anambra Gov, Obiano Over Alleged N4 Billion Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to arraign a former Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, over alleged N4 billion naira fraud.

Naija News gathered that the anti-graft agency would arraign Obiano before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja after it concluded its investigations into alleged money laundering while he was in office.

Recall that on March 17, 2022, Obiano was arrested at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos, while preparing to board a flight to Houston, the United States of America.

The agency had said Obiano was arrested for alleged misappropriation of public funds, including N5 billion Sure-P and N37 billion security vote, which was withdrawn in cash.

According to the EFCC, part of the funds was also allegedly diverted to finance political activities in the state, adding that he had been on the EFCC’s watch list for some time over corruption allegations.

However, a charge filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, sighted by Leadership Newspaper, showed that the EFCC would prosecute the former governor on nine-count charges bordering on illegal withdrawal of security vote and money laundering.

According to the court documents, Slyvanus Tahir, SAN, will lead eight other lawyers in the trial of the former governor.
In the court documents, EFCC accused Obiano of unlawfully moving ₦4,008,573,350 from security votes into different accounts, through which it was converted into dollars and returned to him in cash.

Some of the charges 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 N156,800.00 only 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 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.

“That you, Chief Willie Maduabuchi Obiano, whilst being the executive governor of Anambra State of Nigeria between March 2014 — March 2022, sometime between August 9, 2017 to March 4, 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 only 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.”