Alleged N4 billion fraud: EFCC opens case against former Governor Obiano, invites 2 witnesses

Two witnesses testified when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) opened a money laundering case against former Anambra Governor, Willie Obiano, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday.

The EFCC charged the former governor with nine counts of fraud.

The commission accused Obiano of misappropriating more than N4 billion from state coffers during his tenure from March 2014 to March 2022.

A bank staff member, Mr Tochukwu Aloysius Nnadi, and an Onitsha-based businesswoman, Ms Chinwe Patricia Egbunam, were arraigned by EFCC lawyer, Mr Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), at the hearing.

Nnadi told the court that he was a bank manager in Awka, the capital of Anambra State.

He said: “My lord, as part of our responsibilities, we manage customer accounts and interact with various security and anti-corruption agencies in matters of investigation into customer accounts.

“We usually comply by providing the requested information.

“I know the defendant in this case. He is a former governor of Anambra State.

“In April 2022, I was informed by our compliance unit that I was needed at the EFCC in connection with the past activities of the Anambra State government.

“I went there with two of my colleagues. The EFCC informed me that my invitation was in connection with an ongoing investigation.

“I was told that it happened because I was the branch manager who handled most of the financial activities of the state government at that time.

“The state government has various accounts in our bank and one of those accounts is for security votes.”

However, he said there was nothing special about the security vote account.

“It’s like any other account we manage for the state government.

“The account is largely funded by the state Accountant General’s Office and most of the funds come from the state’s Original Regional Revenue (IGR).

“Payments to the account are made every week and all transactions out of the account are always based on advice from the account manager.

“The payments we make from that account are made to various corporate entities and organizations.

“We provided documents containing the names of all the beneficiaries to the EFCC,” the witness added.

However, he refused prosecutors’ request to name the beneficiaries in open court.

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