Former Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano
A fresh twist has emerged in the trial of former Anambra State governor, Willie Obiano, as the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday stepped back from the case—placing the proceedings on hold indefinitely.
The unexpected pause followed a request from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which asked the court to adjourn the matter sine die. When the case was called before Justice Mohammed Umar, prosecuting counsel, S.O. Obila, explained that this was the first time the matter was appearing before the judge and that the agency would rather wait for the previous trial judge to return.
“In the light of this, I have the instruction of the lead prosecuting counsel in this case, Mr Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, to apply to the Chief Judge that since we had called nine witnesses before the previous judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, we should wait for him to return and conclude the matter,” Obila told the court.
With that, he urged Justice Umar to adjourn the case indefinitely.
Surprisingly, Obiano’s lead counsel, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, SAN, did not object. He acknowledged that the prosecution had already explained the challenge of recalling the nine witnesses who had earlier testified before Justice Ekwo.
Justice Umar granted the request without hesitation, announcing that the case would remain adjourned sine die until further direction.
Obiano, who governed Anambra State from March 2014 to March 2022, was arraigned by the EFCC on January 24, 2024, on a nine-count charge bordering on money laundering. The commission alleges that he diverted more than ₦4 billion from the state’s security vote account, routing the funds through private companies and converting part of it into foreign currency.
Earlier in April, Justice Ekwo had dismissed Obiano’s bid to terminate the charges, ruling that the court had both jurisdiction and sufficient grounds to proceed with the trial. Before the judge’s suspension by the National Judicial Council, nine witnesses—including a Bureau de Change operator who claimed he received approximately ₦416 million over just eight months—had testified.
With the trial now paused indefinitely, all eyes are back on the judiciary’s next move and when, or if, the matter will resume under the original trial judge.
NAN
