The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, arraigned Theodore Orji, a former Governor of Abia State, and four others at the Abia State High Court on Friday, for allegedly misappropriating approximately ₦47 billion.

In addition to the former governor, the other accused individuals are his son, Engineer Chinedum Orji; Dr. Philip Nto, a former Commissioner of Finance for Abia State; government contractor Obioma King; and Romas Madu, a former Director of Finance for Abia State.

They were arraigned before the Chief Judge, Justice Lilian Abai, on a 16-count charge, which includes conspiracy to steal and divert billions of naira meant for various government initiatives.

The specific accusations against the defendants include: misappropriating ₦22.5 billion allocated for security votes between 2011 and 2015; embezzling ₦13 billion from a loan facility granted by Diamond Bank; illegally converting ₦12 billion from the Paris Club refund; and diverting ₦10.5 billion from a loan granted by First Bank, intended for the Abia State government and its local councils.

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They are also accused of misappropriating ₦2 billion from Central Bank of Nigeria funds designated for small and medium enterprises.

At the beginning of the proceedings, lead prosecutor Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) requested that the charges be read to the defendants, ensuring they understood the accusations before entering their pleas. All five defendants pleaded not guilty.

The defence team, including Bode Olanipekun, SAN (representing the first defendant), Chikaosolu Ojukwu, SAN (for the second defendant), Okey Amechi, SAN, and Isaac Anya, filed bail applications on behalf of their clients.

Pinheiro raised no objections to the bail requests but urged the court to exercise discretion in determining the bail conditions.

Justice Abai granted the defendants bail and adjourned the trial to June 18th and 19th, 2025.

Crediblenewsng.com