By Our Correspondent
Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, July 24, 2025, fixed November 25 for the commencement of the trial of former Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Obiano on a nine-count charge bordering on money laundering, diversion of public funds, stealing, and corruption to the tune of N4 billion.
The case is scheduled to start afresh following its reassignment to Justice Umar by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, on May 8, 2025.
Previously, the matter was before Justice Inyang Ekwo, who had slated May 26, 2025, for continuation of trial before the reassignment.
Justice Umar, who was transferred from the Enugu Division of the Federal High Court, could not sit on the scheduled date, prompting an adjournment to July 24 for mention.
At Thursday’s proceedings, after delivering three judgments and attending to several cases, the judge adjourned the matter to November 25, 2025, for trial to begin.
Before the reassignment, the prosecution, led by Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, had called five witnesses before Justice Ekwo, including three bankers and two bureau de change operators.
One of the witnesses, Mr. Ugochukwu Otubelu, a banker and Third Prosecution Witness (PW3), told the court that funds from the security vote account managed by him were funneled into accounts belonging to six private companies.
Another witness, Mr. Ayuba Tanko, a bureau de change operator and Fifth Prosecution Witness (PW5), testified on November 13, 2024, that between April and December 2017, a proxy of the former governor paid a total of N416 million into his company’s account in exchange for the dollar equivalent of $1.137 million.
Chief Willie Obiano served as governor of Anambra State from March 2014 to March 2022.
