The Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC)
yesterday confirmed that the
immediate-past governor of
Anambra State, Willie Obiano,
had been moved to Abuja for
further interrogation on fraud
allegations.
Obiano, who was arrested by
the EFCC on Thursday night at
the Lagos airport while trying to
board a flight to the United States,
hours after his handover to the
new governor of Anambra State,
Charles Soludo, was transferred
to Abuja yesterday morning.
The EFCC in a statement
last night said Obiano was
being interrogated for alleged
misappropriation of N37 billion
security vote and N5 billion
Sure-P funds, totaling N42 billion.
It alleged that the former
governor also used part of the
N42 billion to fund political
activities in the state.
“Willie Obiano was arrested
for alleged misappropriation of
public funds, including, N5bn
Sure-P and N37billion security
vote, which was withdrawn in
cash,” said the EFCC.
Sources said the EFCC is also
in possession of other petitions
alleging corruption against
Obiano.
One of such petitions, a source
said, alleged massive corruption
in the management of the N17bn
Paris Club refund to the state.
“There are also petitions
alleging inflated projects,
including the Umueri
International Airport project
whose cost was believed to be
exaggerated. The EFCC has been
doing its investigations all this
while and are convinced that
Obiano has a case to answer,”
adds the source.
In September 2021, the All
Progressives Congress (APC)
in Anambra had asked the
anti-graft agency to probe the
finances of the state in order
to unearth “monumental
deception”.
Anambra APC chairman, Basil
Ejidike, had alleged that Obiano
was “fraudulently” using the
state’s security vote.
Obiano had been on the
watch list of the EFCC following
the commission’s letter to the
Comptroller General of the
Nigeria Immigration Service on
November 15, 2021, requesting
immigration to place Obiano
on a watch list and inform it
anytime he was travelling out
of the country from any of the
international airports and other
points of entry and exit.
Meanwhile, the EFCC
yesterday explained why it
arrested the immediate past
Governor of Anambra State.
Speaking with BBC
Pidgin, the spokesman of the
commission, Wilson Uwajaren
said: “Obiano had been on our
watch list for some time now.
He had immunity as a governor
and that was why we could not
arrest him before now.
“Today he lost his immunity
and was traveling out of the
country before we finally arrested
him. Obiano was arrested and
he is still in our custody.”
The EFCC official promised to
provide the anti-graft agency’s
next line of action in the coming
