By Seyi Odewale
Barely hours after handing over to his successor, Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo yesterday, the immediate past governor of Anambra State, Sir Willie Obiano was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport Lagos.

Obiano, who has been on the crimes’ commission’s watchlist, was arrested at about 8.30pm on his way out of the country to Houston, Texas in the United States.

A national television station had reported last November how the EFCC had placed Mr Obiano on a watchlist.

The EFCC, it was learnt, had requested the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) 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.

The commission had in a letter to the NIS Comptroller-General dated November 15, 2021, asking the service to place Obiano on a watch list.

It is, however, not clear why the anti-graft agency placed the governor on watchlist.

Sources said the move indicated that the agency may have been discreetly investigating the governor and possibly have intelligence that he was planning to escape after handing over power to his successor, Prof. Soludo.

Former Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Don Adinuba, had 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.

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“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.”

However, barely hours after handing over to his successor, Prof. Charles Soludo, the former governor made his way to Lagos and proceeded to the international airport to leave for the US.

The NIS operatives, on sighting him at 8.30pm at the airport, reportedly alerted the EFCC who immediately arrested him and took him down to their office.

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When contacted on the telephone, the commission spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the former governors’ arrest, promising to provide more details later.
“It is true. He was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport around 8.30pm,” said Uwujaren.