It’s Double Jeopardy For Ex-Governor, Willy Obiano And His Wife

It’s double jeopardy for immediate ex-governor of Anambra State, Mr Willy Obiano and his wife, as he is now under the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

A man who moments earlier yesterday, was full of glee and obviously had plans for the days ahead, has, in  a twinkle become a guest of the nation’s anti-corruption agency, the EFCC.

On the one hand, he is bemoaning an immediate loss of his freedom, not just automatic loss of privileges, having handed over the mantle of governor of the state, to Prof Chukwuma Soludo; on the other hand, his amiable wife, Ebelechukwu, is still nursing fresh wounds of a slap to her face, by wife of late Dim Odimegwu Ojukwu, Bianca.

Obiano was picked up around 8:30 p.m. at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) as he headed to Houston, Texas in the United States.

That is a few hours after leaving the seat of power.

The EFCC confirmed he had been on a watch list but protected under the immunity clause. The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) assisted in his interception.

Ebelechukwu and Bianca

The Eagle reports that last year, the EFCC had written a letter to the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service dated November 15, 2021, asked the service to place Obiano on a watch list and inform it anytime he is travelling out of the country from any of the international airports and other points of entry and exit.

The state Commissioner for Information, Don Adinuba, had, however, dared the EFCC, insisting that his boss would return to the US – his original base – after leaving office.

While the party at the handing over ceremony to his successor, Prof. Charles Soludo was still on, Obiano made a bid that ended up uncompleted.

Immigration officers who sighted him at 8.30pm, immediately alerted the EFCC which immediately arrested him, taking to their office.

Many who sympathise with the man say it is indeed double jeopardy; in fact, the matter has been generating an intense argument in The Eagle newsroom.

Those who argue that it is double jeopardy say, that while the man was nursing the pain of a failed bid to bail out, in addition to loss of personal freedom, that the wife was also nursing the indignation of a slap by a fellow woman.

They things would have taken a different turn between the two women, had there not been an EFCC arrest to worry about.

“The first reality is that the husband whose moral courage and support would have been very much valued at this time, by Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano is now a man under detention.

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“Is she supposed to bother about the slap or the fact that her husband is in captivity”, queried one.

It’s double jeopardy; on the one hand, Ebeelechukwu would be feeling outsmarted by a fellow woman, but on the other hand, held back by the realty of her husband’s current problem.