The immediate past governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, who relinquished power yesterday has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos, on Thursday.
The Obiano, who was arrested around 8.30 was on his way out of the country. He has been having issues with the Commission for months now.
His destination was said to be Houston, Texas, in the United States. He handed power to Governor Charles Soludo yesterday morning.
.The EFCC had had in a letter to the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service dated November 15, 2021, asked immigration to inform it anytime the Governor is travelling out of the country from any of the international airports, as well as other points of entry and exit.
It is, however, not yet clear why the anti-graft agency placed the governor on a watchlist.
Former Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Don Adinuba, had, at the time, 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.”
