The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, says that the immediate-past governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, has not been released from detention.
EFCC Spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, noted that Obiano was transferred to Abuja on Friday morning.
Speaking to The PUNCH via telephone call, the EFCC PRO stated that the reports were false and that the ex-governor was still with the commission.
“He’s still with the commission. He was even transferred from Lagos to Abuja this morning,” Uwujaren said.
Uwujaren, however, did not state whether the ex-governor was arrested alongside his wife, Ebelechukwu.
Willie Obiano was arrested by the EFCC on Thursday night hours after his handover to the new Anambra governor, Chukwuma Soludo.
The ex-governor, who had been on the watch list of the EFCC since November 15, 2021, was arrested while trying to board a flight to the United States.
The arrest occurred hours after his wife was reportedly slapped by the widow of the late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Bianca at the inauguration of Soludo as the governor of the state.
It was learnt that Obiano was arrested for allegedly mismanaging over N17bn Paris Club refund and security vote.
He is also being probed over some suspicious projects, including the Umueri International Airport project whose cost was believed to be inflated.
Don Adinuba, Former Anambra State Commissioner for Information, had earlier condemned the EFCC watchlist reports, claiming that they were politically motivated.
“Governor Obiano has a whole four months to remain in office as the Anambra State chief executive,” Adinuba said. “Nobody in Nigeria can circumscribe his constitutionally conferred immunity which shields him from both criminal and civil prosecution.
“The EFCC went too far to announce in November that it is observing him. We are not aware of any state governor who had up to four months to be in office and the EFCC went on to sponsor media reports that he was being investigated.”
Again, the EFCC has denied arresting Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano as being speculated in some sections of the media.
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