A former Nigerian governor shifts property ownership after being arrested for misappropriating public funds.

Willie Obiano served as governor of Anambra from 2014 to 2022 and was arrested immediately after leaving office, as he was about to board a flight from Lagos to Houston.

According to news reports [below]

• Willie Obiano, the immediate past governor of Anambra State, was arraigned at the Federal High Court, Abuja, over alleged N4 billion fraud.
• The EFCC arraigned 68-year-old Obiano on nine counts of alleged N4bn fraud he committed while governor of Anambra State between March 2014 and March 2022.

Obiano is facing a nine-count indictment filed by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which accuses him of misappropriating funds from the Anambra State Government Security Vote Account.

• Security Vote Account funds are provided to certain federal, state and local government officials to disburse at their discretion.”

According to a joint 2018 report by Transparency International and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre.

• While the funds “are reserved for covering unforeseen security needs,” the Security Vote Account “fuels corruption in Nigeria,”  
• “Security vote spending is not subject to legislative oversight or independent audit because of its ostensibly sensitive nature,” leaving the funds vulnerable to embezzlement,  

After his arrest, Obiano and his wife, Ebelechukwu, transferred ownership of six apartments in Texas, according to property records examined by

• OCCRP,
• The Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF), and
• The Houston Chronicle.

Ebelechukwu texted OCCRP that.

• The real estate deals were “private business,” she declined to answer questions about the properties or the case against her husband.

The case continues, and Obiano has denied charges against him, which include embezzlement and money laundering.

THE OCCRP HAS REPORTED THE FOLLOWING STORY

1. While Obiano and his wife transferred ownership of six apartments, property records show they still own four.
1. There is no indication that any U.S. properties were purchased with funds that Nigerian authorities allege were misappropriated.
2. According to district property authorities, the six apartments that were transferred are worth about $1.8 million in total.
1. Four transferred apartments were purchased before Obiano became governor, while working in the private sector as a banker.
2. Two of the transferred apartments were purchased during his time as governor.
3. The first two transfers occurred in 2022, the same year as Obiano's arrest.
1. He sold one apartment in Houston, and his wife, Ebelechukwu, sold another in the same city.
4. The second set of property transfers occurred in 2024, when Obiano was charged with embezzlement and laundering 4 billion naira (approximately $4.4 million) in state funds.
1. Records show that Obiano and his wife moved ownership of four properties into a Texas company called Wilveg Investments Series LLC.
5. According to a corporate amendment document,
1. Ebelechukwu became the registered agent for Wilveg Investments Series LLC in November 2023.
2. The company’s incorporation record shows it was formed in 2010 with four managers, including Obiano, his wife, and his daughter.
6. Property records show that Obiano and his wife, Ebelechukwu, continue to own an apartment together in Texas, which they purchased in 2011.
1. Ebelechukwu owns two more apartments in the state, purchased in 2011 and 2024.
2. Ebelechukwu bought another in 2014, which she transferred to her daughter the following year.

Aside from sending questions to his wife, reporters attempted to contact Obiano via phone numbers associated with his lawyer and a spokesperson. However, messages sent to those numbers did not receive a response.

News report

Willie Obiano in court, pleads not guilty to ₦4bn fraud charges [24th January, 2024]

By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

1. Willie Obiano, the immediate past governor of Anambra State arraigned at Federal High Court, Abuja on Wednesday over alleged N4 billion fraud.
2. EFCC arraigned 68-year-old Obiano on nine counts of alleged N4bn fraud he allegedly committed when he was governor of Anambra State between March 2014 and March 2022 before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja.
3. The former Anambra Governor pleaded not guilty to the charges when he was arraigned in court of Wednesday.
4. Following the plea, the Counsel for the EFCC, Sylvanus Tahir, had asked the court to remand him in the custody of the anti-graft agency.
5. But the Judge said Obiano should continue to enjoy the administrative bail granted him by the EFCC when he was first arrested soon after leaving office.
6. The terms of the administrative bail include the provision of two sureties who are directors in civil service and who owned landed properties in Abuja.
7. Justice Ekwo also added that Obiano must not leave the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and he must submit his travel documents to the court.
8. The Court subsequently adjourned the case till March 4,5,6 and 7 for continuation of trial.
9. EFCC’s lead counsel, Slyvanus Tahir, SAN, will lead eight other lawyers in the trial of the former governor.
10. Willie Obiano was first arrested at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos, on March 17, 2022, as he was preparing to board a flight to Houston, the United States of America.
11. The EFCC had arrested Obiano hours after he handed over power as Anambra Governor over alleged misappropriation of public funds.
12. See some of the charges filed against him below:
13. Some of the charges against Obiano include,
1. “That you, Chief Willie Maduabuchi Obiano, whilst being the executive governor of Anambra State of Nigeria between March 2014 – March 2022, sometime between 7th February, 2018 to 18th February, 2019 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, indirectly transferred through Mr Willie Nwokoye, your then principal private secretary, the sum of N156,800.00 only from the Anambra State Government Security Vote Account No: 5030050875 domiciled in Fidelity Bank Pic into the Fidelity Bank Ple Account No: 6060018819 belonging to C.I. Patty Ventures Nigeria Limited (an entity that had no business relationship with the Anambra State Government), which funds were dissipated for purposes unrelated / unconnected with the security affairs of Anambra State, which you reasonably ought to have known that such funds formed part of the proceeds of your unlawful act, to wit: (Stealing and Corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) in 2012 and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.
2. “That you, Chief Willie Maduabuchi Obiano, whilst being the executive governor of Anambra State of Nigeria between March 2014 — March 2022, sometime between 9th August, 2017 to 4th March, 2020 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, indirectly transferred through Mr Willie Nwokoye, your then principal private secretary, the sum of N261,268,585.00 only from the Anambra State Government Security Vote Account No: 5030050875 domiciled in Fidelity Bank Plc into the Fidelity Bank Plc Account No: 5600062873 belonging to Easy Diamond Integrated Link (an entity that had no business relationship with the Anambra State Government), which funds were dissipated for purposes unrelated / unconnected with the security affairs of Anambra State, which you reasonably ought to have known that such funds formed part of the proceeds of your unlawful act, to wit: (Stealing and Corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) in 2012 and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.”

Source

• https://www.occrp.org/en/news/exclusive-nigerian-ex-governors-family-reshuffled-us-properties-after-his-arrest-on-corruption-allegations
• https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/800348-exclusive-nigerian-ex-governor-and-wife-reshuffled-us-property-ownership-after-his-arrest.html?tztc=1
• https://pmnewsnigeria.com/2024/01/24/willie-obiano-in-court-pleads-not-guilty-to-%E2%82%A64bn-fraud-charges/