By Suleiman Anyalewechi
An Abia State High Court, sitting in Umuahia the State Capital, on Friday, February 28, 2025, adjourned to June 18 and 19 ,2025, commencement of hearing in the suit filed against a former Governor of Abia State, Senator Theodore A Orji, his son Engr Chinedu Orji, the immediate past Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC .
The EFCC had arraigned the Orjis on a 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, corruption and diversion of public funds to the tune of N60 .85 billion.
Docked alongside the forner Governor and his son, were the erstwhile Finance Commissioner, Dr Philip Nto, Onwumene King Obioma, and Romanus K Madu.
According to the anti-graft agency, the accused, between 2011 and 2015, conspired severally and collectively to siphon and divert the said sum being part of the federal allocations to Abia State.
The EFCC said the offence is contrary to the provisions of Section 390(5) of the Criminal Code Law of Abia State.
The Commission avers that the said sum of over N60 billion were diverted in tranches as security votes and other nebulous subheads between 2010 and 2015.
“That you, Chief Theodore Ahamefule Orji ,Engr Chinedum Orji ,Dr Phillip Nto ,Onwumene King Obioma and Romanus K Madu ,sometime between 2011 and 2015 in Umuahia Aba state within the jurisdiction of this honourable court stole and converted the Sim of N22,500,000,000.00 ( Twenty two Billion ,Five Hundred Million naira only ) being allocation to the the Abia state Government as security votes and thereby committed an offence contrary to the provision of session 390 (5)of the Criminal Code Law of Abia state”, one of the 16 charges reads.
However, all the accused pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.
The presiding Judge, Justice Lillian Obai, granted all the defendants bail in the sum of N50 million each with one surety in like sum.
In addition, each of the surety must be a landed property owner with evidence of relevant title deeds, including a Certificate of Occupancy C of O.
As part of the conditions for the perfection of the bond, the accused must deposit their international passports with the Court Registrar.
The Source reports that the EFCC had earlier announced the final forfeiture of over N 228 million by the former Governor in another case of corruption and diversion of public funds .
Although Senator Orji had denied any knowledge of the said forfeiture, the anti-graft Commission recently went ahead to perfect all the conditions precedent to the final forfeiture.
While Senator Orji presided over the affairs of Abia State between 2007 and 2015, his son, Chinedu, was the Speaker of the state House of Assembly between 2015 and 2023.
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