The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday moved ex-Governor Willy Obiano from Lagos to Abuja for quizzing over alleged N42 billion fraud. Obiano was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja on Thursday night a few hours after he handed over power to Prof. Charles Soludo in Awka, and subsequently lost his immunity from arrest.
The former governor was said to be on his way to the United States where he was residing before his election eight years ago.
He is alleged to have mismanaged his security vote while in office. Some of the funds were allegedly diverted to political activities. It was learnt that Obiano was moved to Abuja because the desk handling his case in the last two years is at the EFCC’s headquarters.
A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Willie Obiano was arrested for alleged misappropriation of public funds, including N5bn Sure-P and N37 billion security vote which was withdrawn in cash.”
“Part of the funds was also allegedly diverted to finance political activities in the state. Our detectives have been grilling him on these allegations. We will keep you updated. ”
The Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said: “Yes, the ex-governor is now with our team in Abuja.
“It is too early to talk about ongoing investigation.”
The EFCC had placed Obiano on its watch list in November 2021.
The anti-graft agency, in a November 15, 2021 letter to the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), had requested him to keep watch on Obiano and inform it anytime he tried to travel out of the country from any of the international airports and other points of entry and exit.
The agency did not say why it took the action, but sources said it has in its possession some petitions against Obiano on his management of the financial resources of Anambra State during his tenure.
One of the petitions written by some citizens of the state raised questions over the spending of the N17 billion Paris Club refund to the state and security vote.
Some other petitioners alleged mismanagement of the huge sums of money left in the state’s coffers by Obiano’s immediate predecessor, Peter Obi.
The EFCC had previously questioned some commissioners and principal officers over the alleged mismanagement of the state funds.
Obiano’s Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. C-Don Adinuba, had dismissed the EFCC letter placing the then governor on watch list as inelegant “when it claimed in the sponsored press report that it received intelligence reports that the governor plans to ‘flee’ from Nigeria once he hands over power next March 17 to the newly elected Anambra State governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo.”
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Grand Alliance has condemned the arrest of the former governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The party described the arrest of the former governor as a “politically-motivated witch-hunt”, saying that the EFCC had resorted to the use of fifth columnists.
The anti-graft agency had arrested Obiano on Thursday night at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos – the day he handed over as Governor of Anambra State.
Addressing journalists in Awka, on Saturday, the National Coordinator, APGA Media Warriors Forum, Evang Chinedu Obigwe, said the allegation that the former governor misappropriated N42bn, out of which N37bn was used to fund political activities was baseless and does not hold waters.
Obigwe said efforts by the EFCC to dent the hard-earned reputation of Obiano would not succeed as he remains innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law. He said as of today, Nigerians don’t have confidence in the anti-graft agency anymore, saying that “when they see the real corrupt politicians joining APC, they would turn to toothless bulldogs.
“But when an opposition figure is involved they will be barking as if the person committed any crime whereas they are doing the evil bidding of their paymasters.”
He said, “EFCC, as usual, has resorted to the use of fifth columnists for the media trial of Obiano. This is evidence showing that they are executing a politically motivated witch hunt plot against him.
“How can you deny last year that you were not aware that Obiano was placed on EFCC watch list only for you now to come in March and be claiming that he has been on your watch list for a long time. As a former governor, Obiano was finishing his tenure, EFCC did not deem it necessary to extend an invitation to him to visit their office at the end of his tenure for interrogation.
“In the absence of an invitation from the EFCC, you don’t expect him not to travel out of the country to go and enjoy a well-deserved rest. I don’t agree with the claim that Obiano was running out of the country before EFCC arrested him.
“He was living his normal life and going about his normal business because he has no skeleton in his cupboard. Assuming EFCC extended an invitation to him and he refused to go, it will be a different issue.
“If EFCC claims that he enjoyed immunity while he was governor, they should have extended an invitation to him and made it clear to him that they want him to report to their office immediately after handing over to his successor. Had it been the agency did this, Obiano will honour their invitation.
“Another funny thing is that EFCC did not use the same yardstick they are using to measure Obiano on other former governors, especially those that joined APC for the purpose of escaping prosecution.https://6f946d95cf9e531bfda5525d161431b7.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
“APGA as a party says no to EFCC media trial of former governor Obiano because injustice to one is an injustice to all.”
Source: reports from The Nation and the Punch
