New Judge Takes Over Willie Obiano’s Money Laundering Case, Trial Resumes November

New Judge Takes Over Willie Obiano’s Money Laundering Case, Trial Resumes November

A new judge has taken over the N4 billion money laundering trial of former Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, with the case now scheduled to resume on November 25, 2025. Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja, who recently took over the case, postponed the hearing on Thursday after spending the court day on other matters.

Justice Umar inherited the trial following the suspension of the previous judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, who was sanctioned for misconduct by the National Judicial Council in April. Justice Ekwo had initially fixed May 26 for the continuation of the trial before his suspension. To avoid further delays, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court reassigned the matter to Justice Umar, who was transferred from the Enugu Division earlier this year. Due to his absence on the rescheduled May date, the court adjourned until July 24, when it was again postponed.

Mr Obiano, who served as governor from March 2014 to March 2022, was first arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in January 2024. He faces nine counts relating to the alleged misappropriation of over N4 billion in state funds. The charges include unlawful cash transactions that bypassed financial institutions and allegedly breached legally permitted cash limits. He is also accused of diverting funds from the state’s security vote account.

Mr Obiano has pleaded not guilty to all charges. However, due to the change in judge, he is expected to take a fresh plea when the trial resumes. The prosecution will also have to recall witnesses who had already testified.

At previous hearings, several key witnesses had testified for the prosecution. Among them was Ugochukwu Otubelu, a former bank employee who managed the state’s security vote account. He testified that although funds were transferred into six company accounts, the money never reached the account holders directly. Another witness, Hayatu Hadejia, a Bureau De Change (BDC) operator, said he was involved in transactions linked to the Obiano administration through his five BDC companies. Ayuba Tanko, also a BDC operator, testified that he received N416 million in tranches between April and December 2017, which he converted into $1.137 million and returned in cash. Three additional bankers have also provided evidence in court.

The trial is expected to continue with these and other witnesses once proceedings resume in November.