Justice
Mohammed
Umar
of
the
Federal
High
Court,
Abuja,
on
Thursday,
July
24,
2025
fixed
November
25,
2025
for
the
trial
of
former
Anambra
State
governor,
Willie
Obiano.
The
Economic
and
Financial
Crimes
Commission,
EFCC,
is
prosecuting
Obiano
on
a
nine-
count
charge
bordering
on
money
laundering,
diversion
of
funds,
stealing
and
corruption
to
the
tune
of
N4billion.
Obiano’s
trial
is
starting
afresh
under
Justice
Umar,
who
was
assigned
the
case
on
May
8,
2025
by
the
Chief
Judge
of
Federal
High
Court,
FHC,
Justice
John
Tsoho.
The
former
trial
judge,
Justice
Inyang
Ekwo,
had
fixed
May
26,
2025
for
continuation
of
the
trial
before
the
reassignment.
Justice
Umar,
who
was
transferred
from
Enugu
Judicial
Division
of
the
Federal
High
Court
could
not
sit
on
the
date
of
adjournment
and
the
case
was
adjourned
for
Thursday,
July
24,
2025
for
mention.
At
today’s
proceedings,
Justice
Umar,
rose
after
taking
three
judgments
and
a
number
of
other
cases
and
adjourned
the
Obiano
matter
till
November
25,
2025
for
commencement
of
trial.
Before
the
reassignment
of
the
case,
prosecution
counsel,
Sylvanus
Tahir,
SAN
had
presented
five
witnesses,
comprising
three
bankers
and
two
bureau
de
change
operators
in
evidence
against
Obiano
before
Justice
Ekwo.
The
Third
Prosecution
Witness,
PW3,
Mr
Ugochukwu
Otubelu,
a
banker,
who
managed
Obiano’s
security
vote
account
admitted
that
funds
from
the
security
votes’
account
went
into
accounts
of
six
private
companies.
The
Fifth
Prosecution
Witness
,
PW5,
Ayuba
Tanko,
a
bureau
de
change
operator
had
on
November
13,
2024,
disclosed
that
between
April
and
December
2017,
a
total
sum
of
N416
million
was
paid
in
tranches
by
a
proxy
of
the
former
governor
into
his
company’s
account
in
exchange
of
$1.137
million
equivalent.
Obiano
was
Anambra
governor
between
March
2014
and
March
2022.
Media
&
Publicity
July
24,
2025
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