The Federal High Court (FHC) in Abuja has scheduled November 25 for the trial of former Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano in connection with an alleged N4 billion money laundering case.
The case was adjourned after Justice Mohammed Umar, the new trial judge, rose following the conclusion of three judgments and other cases on the court’s cause list. The nine-count charge against Obiano, filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was recently reassigned to Justice Umar.
Previously, Justice Inyang Ekwo had fixed May 26 for the continuation of the trial before the reassignment. However, on that date, Justice Umar, who was transferred from the Enugu judicial division, did not preside, and the matter was set for mention on July 24.
Obiano served as governor of Anambra State from March 2014 to March 2022. The EFCC alleges that he misappropriated over N4 billion from the state treasury during his tenure.
During the trial on October 7, 2024, before Justice Ekwo, EFCC’s lead counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, presented two witnesses in evidence.
One witness, Mr. Ugochukwu Otubelu, a former commercial bank employee who managed the security vote account under Obiano’s administration, testified about his role. Otubelu, the third prosecution witness (PW-3), worked at the bank between November 2008 and March 2023 and is now a businessman.
He stated that the signatories to the security vote account were the former principal secretary to the governor, Willy Nwokoye, and the accountant, Theophilus Nweze. Otubelu said he regularly liaised with them to process transactions.
He admitted that funds from the security vote account were transferred into six different companies’ accounts, though the money did not go directly to the account holders.
The EFCC also called Hayatu Hadejia, a Bureau De Change (BDC) operator, as PW-4. Hadejia described himself as a businessman running multiple BDC companies and said he was invited by the EFCC during its investigation into Obiano’s financial activities.
Another BDC operator, Ayuba Tanko, testified on November 13, 2024, that between April and December 2017, N416 million was paid into a company account he controlled by proxy in the ongoing trial. Ayuba, PW-5, said this sum was returned as the equivalent of $1,137,000 USD.
“I am a trader. I trade in forex exchange. I trade in USDs, Euros, and Pound Sterling. I source customers, exchange currencies, and collect commission,” he explained.
Ayuba said he used two companies—Sauki Bureau De Change and Zigaziga Trading and Company Ltd—for his business. He was questioned by the EFCC Investigation Department in 2023 about the account of Zigaziga Trading and Company Ltd at a commercial bank.
When asked how much he received during the period, Ayuba said: “Between April 2017 to December 2017, the total money I received during that period was 416 million naira. And I gave a dollar equivalent as 1,137,000 US dollars.”
He added that apart from this transaction, he had no other business dealings with the Anambra government under Obiano.
During cross-examination, Obiano’s lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, asked if Ayuba had dealt directly with the former governor, to which Ayuba replied: “I did not deal directly with the defendant.”
The prosecution also called three bankers to testify as part of the alleged money laundering case.
(NAN)
