Former Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano and his wife, Ebelechukwu, began transferring ownership of several U.S. properties in 2022, just months after his arrest on allegations of misappropriating public funds, according to a report by OCCRP.
Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has indicted Obiano for allegedly misusing security funds, though he has denied all charges. The case remains ongoing, with accusations of embezzlement and money laundering still under investigation.
Obiano, who governed Anambra from 2014 to 2022, was arrested at Lagos airport while preparing to board a flight to Houston. Shortly after, he and his wife transferred ownership of six apartments in Texas, as revealed by property records examined by OCCRP, the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF), and the Houston Chronicle.
Despite these transfers, records indicate the couple still retains ownership of four other U.S. properties. There is no evidence suggesting that the funds used to purchase these assets were misappropriated.
Of the six transferred apartments—valued at approximately $1.8 million—four were acquired before Obiano assumed office while working as a banker. The remaining two were purchased during his tenure as governor.
The first two transfers occurred in 2022, the year of Obiano’s arrest, with one Houston apartment sold by him and another by his wife.
When contacted by OCCRP, Ebelechukwu characterized the transactions as “private business” and declined to comment further on the properties or the case against her husband.
In 2024, the year Willie Obiano was charged with embezzlement and laundering 4 billion naira (approximately $4.4 million at the time) in state funds, he and his wife transferred ownership of four properties to a Texas-based company, Wilveg Investments Series LLC, according to property records.
Corporate amendment documents reveal that in November 2023, Ebelechukwu Obiano became the registered agent for Wilveg Investments Series LLC. Records indicate that the company was established in 2010, with its management comprising Obiano, his wife, his daughter, and one other individual.
Attemp to reach Obiano through phone numbers linked to his lawyer and a spokesperson received no response to inquiries.
The former governor faces a nine-count indictment filed by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accusing him of misappropriating funds from the Anambra State Government Security Vote Account. Obiano has denied the allegations, and the case remains ongoing.
According to a joint 2018 report by Transparency International and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center, funds in the Security Vote Account “are provided to certain federal, state and local government officials to disburse at their discretion.”
According to the report, while the funds “are reserved for covering unforeseen security needs,” the Security Vote Account “fuels corruption in Nigeria.”
The report highlights that security vote expenditures are exempt from legislative oversight and independent audits due to their classified nature, making them susceptible to mismanagement and embezzlement.
Obiano has denied the allegations against him, but his trial has been delayed due to the suspension of the presiding judge by Nigeria’s National Judicial Council over unrelated misconduct.
Property records indicate that Obiano and his wife, Ebelechukwu, still jointly own an apartment in Texas, acquired in 2011.
Additionally, Ebelechukwu owns two more apartments in the state, purchased in 2011 and 2024. In 2014, she bought another property, which she transferred to her daughter the following year.
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