Former Abia governor Theodore Orji, son, and others arraigned for alleged ₦47bn fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday arraigned former Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji, and four others at the Abia State High Court over the alleged misappropriation of ₦47 billion in public funds.
The other defendants include his son, Chinedum Orji; former Abia State Commissioner of Finance, Dr. Philip Nto; government contractor, Obioma King; and former Director of Finance for Abia State, Romas Madu. They appeared before Justice Lilian Abai, the Chief Judge of Abia State, on a 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, theft, and illegal conversion of funds meant for government programs.
The EFCC accused them of misappropriating ₦22.5 billion allocated for security votes between 2011 and 2015, diverting ₦13 billion from a Diamond Bank loan, and illegally converting ₦12 billion from the Paris Club refund. They were also charged with embezzling ₦10.5 billion from a First Bank loan intended for the Abia State government and its local councils, as well as siphoning ₦2 billion from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) funds meant for small and medium enterprises.
During the proceedings, lead prosecutor Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) requested the court registrar to read the charges to the defendants to ensure they fully understood the allegations. All five defendants pleaded not guilty.
The defence team, led by Bode Olanipekun (SAN) for the first defendant and Chikaosolu Ojukwu (SAN) for the second, alongside Okey Amechi (SAN) and Isaac Anya, filed bail applications on behalf of their clients. While Pinheiro did not oppose the bail requests, he urged the court to exercise discretion in determining bail conditions.
Justice Lilian Abai granted the defendants bail and adjourned the trial to June 18 and 19, 2025.
