The immediate past governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, has been arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, few hours after he handed over to the new governor of the State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.
Obiano, who has been on the Commission’s watchlist for months, was arrested on Thursday at about 8.30pm.
He was reportedly on his way out of the country to Houston, Texas in the United States after handing over to his successor, Governor Charles Soludo.
Recall that the commission had in a letter to the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service dated November 15, 2021, asked the service to place Obiano on a watch list and inform it anytime he is travelling out of the country from any of the international airports and other points of entry and exit.
The State Commissioner for Information, Don Adinuba, had, however, dared the EFCC, insisting that his boss would return to the US – his original base – after leaving office.
However, barely hours after handing over to his successor, Prof. Charles Soludo, it was learnt that Obiano made his way to Lagos after which he proceeded to the international airport.
On sighting him at 8.30pm, immigration officers were said to have alerted the EFCC who immediately arrested him and took him to their office.
The EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the former governor’s arrest, promising to provide more details later.
