EFCC transfers arrested ex-Governor Obiano to Abuja

The immediate-past governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, who was arrested yesterday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been moved from Lagos to their facility in Abuja, TopNaija can confirm.

Obiano was arrested by the EFCC on Thursday night hours after his handover to the new Anambra Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, a verified source within EFCC confirmed on Friday.

He was arrested at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos while trying to board a flight to Houston, Texas in the United States.

The EFCC had announced last November that the former governor was on their watchlist and had asked the Nigeria Immigration Service to inform them, anytime he was traveling out of the country from any of the international airports.

According to the commission’s spokesman, Obiano had been on the watchlist of the EFCC prior to the transition on Thursday.

He said, “Obiano has been on our watchlist for sometime now. He had immunity as a governor and that is why we could not arrest him before now.

“Today he lost the immunity and was traveling out of the country before we finally arrested him”.

Obiano had handed over to his successor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo at a low-key event in Awka, the state capital.

The event was, however, overshadowed by a brawl between the former governor’s wife, Ebele Obiano and the widow of the late Biafra warlord, Bianca Ojukwu.

Obiano left the banking system to join Nigerian politics and in 2013 contested the November 16, 17 and 30 Anambra State gubernatorial elections on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.

He won the election and was sworn in on 17 March 2014 to succeed Peter Obi. On 18 November 2017, he was re-elected as Governor. His tenure ended on the 16 March 2022.