Willie Obiano Still Detained In EFCC Custody Despite Being Granted Administrative Bail

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa has revealed that the immediate past governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, is still in detention because he’s yet to perfect his bail conditions.

KanyiDaily had reported how Obiano was apprehended by the EFCC at Murtala Muhammad International Airport in Lagos at about 8.30 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, 2022.

The former governor, who had been on the EFCC watch list since November 15, 2021, was arrested while trying to board a flight to the United States.

The arrest came barely hours after Obiano completed his second term as governor and handed over to Charles Soludo, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), who was sworn in as the sixth governor of the state on Thursday.

A source at the EFCC had disclosed that Obiano was arrested for allegedly misappropriating N5bn Sure-P and N37 billion Security Vote funds, amounting to N42 billion in public funds.

EFCC Chairman Speaks On Obiano’s Arrest

Speaking at the sideline of the 5th Annual General Assembly (AGA) meeting of the Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA) in Abuja, Bawa insisted that Obiano’s arrest and questioning is not political.

Asked why the EFCC has kept the former governor in its custody, beyond the period allowed by the Constitution, Bawas said the commission had granted Obiano an administrative bail but the ex-governor had yet to meet the bail conditions.

The EFCC Chairman said, “There is nothing political about the investigation. You know what the EFCC stands for.

“We investigate crimes, we look at people that have committed crimes and we link it up together and then we go to court. That is all we have been doing and that is what we will continue to do.

“We have been accused of media trial. But we will continue to do our investigation professionally.

“He has been granted bail and we are waiting for him to perfect his bail conditions he has been cooperating with us and everything is going on well.”

The development comes after Anambra-North Women Empowerment Movement (AWEM) threatened to protest naked at EFCC office in Abuja if Willie Obiano is not released urgently.