Alleged ₦4bn Fraud: EFCC To Arraign Obiano Today

Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will today (Wednesday) arraign the former Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Willie Obiano before a Federal High Court in Abuja for alleged money laun­dering during his time in office.

The EFCC alleged that Obi­ano allegedly misappropriated public funds totalling N4.8 billion belonging to the Anambra State government while he was in of­fice between 2014 and 2022.

Slyvanus Tahir (SAN) who is the EFCC Director of Legal and Prosecution, will lead 8 other counsels in the trial of the former gover­nor.

Read Also: EFCC Arrests Imo PDP Chairman Over Alleged ₦3.6Bn Fraud

Some of the charges read: “That you, Chief Willie Madua­buchi Obiano, whilst being the executive governor of Anambra State of Nigeria between March 2014 and March 2022, sometime between 7th February, 2018 to 18th February, 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 a bank with 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 and 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 only from the Anambra State gov­ernment Security Vote Account No: 5030050875 domiciled in bank with 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.”

The Eastern Updates