At the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, or EFCC, charged former Anambra State governor Willie Maduabuchi Obiano with evading court proceedings related to N40 billion in suspected fraud allegations.
At the former governor’s trial for the corruption accusations against him, Sylvanus Tahir, Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Lead Counsel to the Anti-Corruption Agency, leveled the claim.
Tahir notified Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo that, in accordance with the court’s Monday decision, he had submitted a counteraffidavit to refute Obiano’s attempt to contest the court’s territorial jurisdiction over him.
However, the senior attorney bemoaned the failure of the court-ordered attempt on Wednesday to serve the counter-affidavit on the former governor through his attorney.
He told the court that although his team was present at Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu’s (SAN) chamber on Wednesday, Obiano’s lead attorney, the office gate was securely secured.
Tahir said he personally phoned two of the defendant lawyers but he was told they were at a Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.
It was only on Thursday that the attorney said he could serve the defendant with the counter-affidavit within the courtroom because of the current situation.
In his move, he requested that the court consider the counteraffidavit and the former governor’s motion contesting the court’s territorial authority.
To address the EFCC’s counter-affidavit, Patrick Ikweto, SAN, who represented Obiano at Thursday’s proceedings, acknowledged being served and requested a postponement.
Judge Ekwo granted the request and scheduled a hearing on March 13th to consider Obiano’s territorial jurisdiction motion.
After serving two terms as governor of Anambra State, the former official was charged with embezzling N40 billion in public monies.
Part of the charge reads, “that Chief Willie Maduabuchi Obiano, whilst being the executive governor of Anambra State 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.”
