Court Sets November Trial Date For Obiano Over N4billion Fraud Case

The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled November 25 for the continuation of the trial involving former Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, over alleged N4 billion fraud.

The case was brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which accused Obiano of mismanaging public funds during his tenure as governor from 2014 to 2022. The court session was rescheduled after the new trial judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, who had earlier handled multiple cases in the day’s sitting, rose without hearing the matter.

Justice Umar, previously of the Enugu division, took over the case after it was reassigned from Justice Inyang Ekwo, who had presided over earlier hearings, including witness testimonies in late 2024.

The charges against Obiano include allegations that he diverted billions of naira from the state’s treasury using multiple accounts and individuals connected to his administration. Among the witnesses called by the EFCC is a former bank employee, Ugochukwu Otubelu, who said he managed a security vote account linked to the state government. He noted that the funds were handled by key aides to the former governor and were moved frequently to various company accounts.

Testimonies also came from Bureau De Change operators who received large sums in naira and returned equivalent amounts in foreign currencies. One of them, Ayuba Tanko, told the court he was paid N416 million in tranches between April and December 2017. He returned the money as $1.137 million in US dollars. Tanko said he acted through two companies and had no personal business dealings with Obiano.

During cross-examination, Obiano’s lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), questioned the credibility of the witness, who admitted that he never dealt directly with the former governor. The defence maintains that the transactions were conducted by third parties and not personally overseen by Obiano.

With several witnesses already heard, the court is expected to continue examining the evidence presented when proceedings resume in November. The case is one of several high-profile corruption trials involving former public officials facing scrutiny over financial mismanagement.