Ex-Abia Governor Theodore Orji, four associates face 16 fraud charges over alleged ₦60.85bn misappropriation

In a dramatic court appearance on Friday, 28 February 2025, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought former Abia State governor Chief Theodore Ahamefule Orji before the High Court in Umuahia. He was charged alongside Engineer Chinedum Orji, Dr Philip Nto, Onwumene King Obioma and Romanus K. Madu on allegations of fraud and financial misconduct totalling approximately ₦60.85 billion.

Presiding over the case, Justice Lilian Abai heard a lengthy indictment comprising sixteen counts. The charges, spanning offences committed between 2010 and 2015, accuse the defendants of conspiring to misappropriate public funds through theft, conversion, money laundering, official corruption and abuse of office. The misappropriated sums reportedly stem from a variety of state allocations, including funds for small and medium enterprises, ecological projects, security votes and monies due from a Paris Club refund.

A summary of the allegations is as follows:

Counts 1 to 3: In 2015, the accused allegedly colluded to unlawfully appropriate ₦2 billion each from funds allocated by the Central Bank of Nigeria for small and medium enterprises in Abia State. In addition to theft and conversion, they face charges of money laundering and official corruption, contravening relevant sections of the Criminal Code Law.

Counts 4 to 6: The indictment further alleges that in 2013—and during 2014 to 2015—the group conspired to steal and convert ₦850 million intended for ecological projects. Separate counts detail the same misappropriations under differing statutory provisions relating to theft and corruption.

Counts 7 to 9: Between 2011 and 2015, the defendants are accused of conspiring to misappropriate ₦22.5 billion allocated as security votes to the state government. The charges here again involve allegations of theft, conversion and abuse of office, under both conspiracy and corruption statutes.

Counts 10 to 12: The court was told that, between 2010 and an unspecified year in the early 2010s, the group allegedly stole and converted ₦12 billion from funds due to Abia State as a Paris Club refund. These counts include parallel allegations of conspiracy, theft and official corruption.

Counts 13 and 14: In 2015, it is alleged that the misappropriation of ₦13 billion occurred through a loan facility granted by the then Diamond Bank PIC. The charges cover both the theft and the subsequent abuse of office in relation to these funds.

Counts 15 and 16: Finally, the defendants face charges stemming from 2012 and 2015 for allegedly stealing and converting ₦10.5 billion from a loan facility provided by First Bank Plc, which was intended to benefit both the state government and local councils. Again, these counts cite breaches of statutory provisions regarding official corruption and abuse of office.

The lengthy list of charges has raised serious questions about the management of public funds in Abia State. As the case unfolds, further details are expected to emerge, with the EFCC promising a rigorous pursuit of accountability for the alleged financial improprieties.