An Abia State High Court in Umuahia has granted bail to former Governor, Theodore Orji and four others after their arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N60.85 billion fraud.
Orji, alongside his son, Chinedum Orji, former commissioner of finance of the state, Phillip Nto, a government contractor, Onwumene Obioma, and former Abia director of finance, Romanus Madu, was brought before Justice Lilian Abai on a 16-count charge of money laundering and embezzlement of public funds.
The defendants were arraigned by the EFCC on charges filed by the Federal Republic of Nigeria, accusing them of conspiring to steal and convert billions of naira from various state allocations between 2010 and 2015.
Count 1 reads, “That you Chief Theodore Ahamefule Orji, Engr Chinedum Orji, Dr. Phillip Nto, Onwumene King Obioma and Romanus K. Madu, sometime in 2015 in Umuahia Abia State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired among yourselves to commit unlawful acts to wit, stealing and conversion of the sum N2,000,000,000.00 (Two Billion Naira Only) being the proceeds of the Central Bank of Nigeria Funds for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) allocated to Abia State an thereby committed an offence contrary to the provision of Section 516 and 516(A) c the Criminal Code Law of Abia State.”
Another count reads, “That you Chief Theodore Ahamefule Orji, Engr Chinedum Orji, Dr. Philip Nto, Onwumene King Obioma and Romanus K. Madu, sometime in 2013 in Umuahia, Abia State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired among yourselves to commit unlawful acts to wit stealing and conversion of the sum of 850,000,000.00 (Eight Hundred and Fifty Million Naira Only) being the funds allocated to Abia State for ecological projects and thereby committed an offence contrary to the provision of Section 516 and 516(A) of the Criminal Code Law of Abia State.”
Count 7 reads, “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, Abia State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired among yourselves to commit unlawful acts to wit, stealing and conversion. to the tune of N22,500,000,000.00 (Twenty-Two Billion, Five Hundred Million. Naira Only) being the funds allocated to the Abia State Government as security votes and thereby committed an offence contrary to the provision of Sections 516 and 516(A) of the Criminal Code Law of Abia State.”
After the charges were read, all five defendants pleaded not guilty to the allegations leveled against them by the anti-graft agency.
Defense counsel, including Bode Olanipekun and others, then made oral applications for their clients’ bail, citing their status and cooperation.
The prosecution did not oppose the requests, and Justice Abai granted the applications, setting bail conditions to be determined at the court’s discretion.
She stipulated that the defendants must provide sureties, with further details to be finalized, requiring proof of residence within the court’s jurisdiction.
The case was adjourned to June 18 and 19, 2025, for trial.
