Former Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, has reportedly passed away in London, United Kingdom.
According to SaharaReporters, Obiano died after suffering “severe heart failure and complications arising from urinary cancer.” A senior member of the family confirmed the news on Sunday night, describing his death as unexpected despite his prolonged health challenges.
“His health had been declining for months, but the final collapse was sudden. We are devastated,” the source said.
Medical staff at the London hospital where he was being treated also confirmed that the former governor had been in the intensive care unit before his condition deteriorated.
“He fought till the very last moment,” a hospital official disclosed.
Before his death, Obiano was facing trial for an alleged N4 billion money laundering case brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Federal High Court in Abuja had scheduled November 25 for the continuation of his trial after the case was reassigned to Justice Mohammed Umar.
The EFCC alleged that Obiano mismanaged state funds during his tenure from March 2014 to March 2022.
During the last hearing, EFCC counsel Sylvanus Tahir (SAN) presented witnesses, including former commercial bank official Ugochukwu Otubelu, who testified on managing transactions linked to the security vote account associated with Obiano’s administration.
Otubelu, now a businessman, told the court that Obiano’s former Principal Secretary, Willy Nwokoye, and the state’s Accountant, Theophilus Nweze, were signatories to the account. He added that he interacted with them “daily and weekly” while processing related financial transactions.
Obiano served as Anambra State governor for eight years before handing over to his successor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, in 2022.
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