News reaching News About Nigeria is that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will arraign the immediate-past governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, January 24, 2024.
The former Anambra state governor would be arraigned before Justice Inyang Ekwo over alleged money laundering, which amounts to N4,008,573,350.
According to a source from the anti-graft agency, Obiano moved the alleged money to different accounts while still serving as the governor of Anambra State.
“We found that Obiano moved N4,008,573,350 from security votes into different accounts. The money at various times was changed into dollars and returned to Obiano in cash,” the source revealed.
Confirming Obiano’s arraignment before the Federal High Court in Abuja, the spokesperson of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, stated that the former governor would be arraigned on Wednesday.
“Yes, we’re arraigning Obiano tomorrow,” he noted.
Obiano is reportedly being arraigned on nine counts, which include misappropriation of public funds during his tenure as governor of Anambra State.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Slyvanus Tahir, will lead eight other lawyers in the trial of the former governor on Wednesday (tomorrow).
It was also gathered that Obiano is now in the custody of the EFCC at its headquarters in the nation’s capital, Abuja, ahead of the arraignment slated for tomorrow.
The anti-graft agency first arrested the former governor in 2022, hours after he handed over to the current governor, Charles Soludo.
The EFCC had reportedly arrested Obiano over corruption allegations at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos, as he was preparing to board a flight to Houston, the United States.
