The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, fixed November 25 for the trial of former Anambra governor, Willie Obiano, over an alleged N4 billion money laundering case.
The court adjourned the case after the new trial judge,
Justice Mohammed Umar, rose after taking three judgments and a number of cases
on the cause list.
The nine-count charge, preferred against the former governor
by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was re-assigned to
Justice Umar recently.
The former judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, had fixed May 26 for
the continuation of trial before the case was re-assigned to Justice Umar by
the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, in his May 18
press release.
However, on May 26, Justice Umar, who was transferred from
Enugu judicial division of the court, did not sit and the case was fixed for
July 24 for mention.
Obiano was Anambra governor between March 2014 and March
2022.
The former governor, in the charge, was alleged to have,
among others, misappropriated over N4 billion from the state’s treasury.
It would be recalled that the EFCC’s lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir,
SAN, led two witnesses in evidence in the trial of the ex-governor on Oct. 7,
2024, before Justice Ekwo.
A former commercial bank staff, Mr Ugochukwu Otubelu, had
revealed how he managed the security vote account under Obiano’s government.
Otubelu, the 3rd prosecution witness (PW-3), said though he
was with the bank between November 2, 2008 and March 24, 2023, he said he is
now a businessman.
He said that the signatories to the security vote account
were the former Principal Secretary to the ex-governor, Willy Nwokoye, and the
Accountant, Theophilus Nweze.
He said he interfaced with them mostly on daily and weekly
basis in processing their transactions.
The PW-3, who admitted that funds from the security votes
account went into six companies’ account, said the money did not go to the
account holders.
The EFCC also called Hayatu Hadejia, a Bureau De Change,
BDC, operator as PW-4.
Hadejia told the court that he is a businessman, who runs
BDC companies.
He said he had five companies and was invited by the EFCC as
part of its investigations into the financial activities of the government of
ex-governor Obiano.
Another BDC Operator, Ayuba Tanko, on November 13, 2024,
said between April and December 2017, a total sum of N416 million was paid into
a company’s account he used, by proxy, in the ongoing trial of Obiano.
Ayuba, who was PW-5, said the N416 million which was
received in tranches, was given back as 1.137 million US dollars equivalent.
“I am a trader. I trade in forex exchange. I trade in USDs,
Euros and Pound Sterling.
“I do source for customers and I do exchange and collect
commission,” he said.
The PW-5 said he used two companies: Sauki Bureau De Change
and Zigaziga Trading and Company Ltd for his business.
He said he was invited by the EFCC, through its
Investigation Department, in 2023 and was questioned about Zigaziga Trading and
Company Ltd’s account domiciled in one of the commercial banks.
When the senior lawyer asked him how much he received at the
period, the witness said: “Between April 2017 to December 2017, the total money
I received at that period was 416 million in naira.
“And I gave a dollar equivalent as 1, 137, 000.00 US
dollars,” he said.
Ayuba said besides this transaction, he did not do any other
business with the Anambra government under Gov. Obiano.
Obiano’s lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, during
cross-examination, asked the PW-5 if he had ever had any dealing with the
ex-governor directly, Ayuba said: “I did not deal directly with the defendant.”
The prosecution counsel also called three bankers, who gave
their testimonies in the alleged money laundering charge.
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