BREAKING: Court Declines EFCC’s Request To Remand Ex-Anambra Governor Obiano In Prison

The Federal High Court has declined the request of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to remand former Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, at the Nigeria Correctional Service facility pending the hearing and determination of the money laundering charges instituted against him.

Obiano had pleaded not guilty to nine count money laundering charges instituted against him by the EFCC.

The charge sheet was read to him in open court by the registrar at Justice Inyang Ekwo’s court but he denied being guilty of all the charges.

Obiano, who served two terms as governor, was arraigned before the court over alleged stealing and corruption and embezzlement of state funds.

Part of the charge reads that 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 only from the Anambra State Government Security Vote Account into the account 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 former governor was accompanied to the court by a team of EFCC officials who had earlier brought him to the premises in a white bus.

When the governor was done taking his plea, Sylvanus Tahir representing the EFCC, said in view of the ‘not guilty’ plea, he had 14 witnesses and all of them were within jurisdiction and some will tender documentary evidence against the ex-governor.

He also asked that the defendant be remanded in custody pending the hearing of the case.

But Onyechi Ikpeazu, counsel for the defendant, told the court he had an application for bail.

Tahir said he was served with the governor’s application for bail but he needed time to go through it to reply.

Tahir admitted that the governor was granted administrative bail by the EFCC.

Justice Ekwo then asked him the terms of the administrative bail, to which Tahir said included sureties who are directors in the Federal Civil Service and the deposit of the governors’ international passport.

Ekwo said the terms of bail granted by EFCC was adopted by the court.

He also directed the EFCC to transfer the international passport of the governor to the court registry.

He said the defendant shall not travel out of jurisdiction of the court without prior notice and leave of this court.

“Case adjourned to 4,5,6 and 7 March for trial,” the judge ruled while granting the governor bail.

THE WHISTLER recalls that following the completion of his tenure in 2022, Obiano was placed on the watchlist of the anti-graft agency over allegations of corruption.

The former governor was eventually arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport hours after he handed over power to Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, the new state governor.

The anti-graft agency said he allegedly diverted public funds to his account.