The N4bn money laundering trial of former Anambra State governor, Willie Obiano, has been adjourned indefinitely by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Justice Mohammed Umar granted the adjournment on Tuesday, following a plea from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s legal team, led by S.O. Obila.
The case, which was heard for the first time before Justice Umar, had previously been handled by Justice Inyang Ekwo, who is currently serving a one-year ban issued by the National Judicial Council for misconduct.
Obila informed the court that he had received orders from the lead prosecutor, Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), to seek an indefinite adjournment to await Justice Ekwo’s return.
He said, “In light of this, I have the instruction of the lead prosecuting counsel, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), to apply that since we had called nine witnesses before the previous judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, we should wait for him to return and conclude the matter.”
The defense, led by Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), did not resist the proposal.
Following submissions from both sides, Justice Umar adjourned the matter sine die.
The EFCC charged Obiano on January 24, 2024, with laundering N4 billion in security votes allocated to Anambra State during his term as governor.
Prior to his arraignment, the EFCC placed him on a watchlist immediately after he left government in 2022, and he was later detained at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
The trial has been stopped several times, most notably when Obiano challenged the court’s jurisdiction.
Recently, false claims spread saying that he died in London; nevertheless, he is still alive and well in the United States.
The indefinite adjournment means that the trial will be put on hold until Justice Ekwo is available to resume proceedings.
