Former Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano has revealed why he hurriedly tried to jet out of the country just a few hours after he handed over the reins of government to his successor, Charles Soludo.
THE VENT REPUBLIC recalls that Mr. Obiano was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on March 17 at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos, while trying to board a flight to Houston, the United States.
There were insinuations that the former Anambra State Chief Executive wanted to rush out of the country to evade arrest and prosecution from the EFCC that had last year placed him on its watchlist.
But the former governor through his lawyer, Patrick Ikwueto SAN told PREMIUM TIMES that contrary to speculations that he was fleeing Nigeria, he was rather hurrying to keep a doctor’s appointment to treat a “semi fatal condition”.
“He was not running away,” Mr Ikwueto said. “Why will he run away when his family is here and he has a lot to do here? The fact is that he (Obiano) has a medical condition for which he had a prior appointment to see his Specialist Doctor for treatment at Spring Creek Urology Specialists LLC, Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
“By the nature of his ailment, he has been undergoing treatment at the said Specialist Hospital since June 2021 and had an appointment earlier scheduled for the final stage of Specialist Radiography for eight ( weeks – which will take place immediately upon his arrival at the Facility in Houston, Texas, U.S.A; and thereafter, after four days. Subsequent treatments are scheduled every day for a period of eight ( weeks.”
While noting that the former governor had since mid last year received treatment at the U.S. medical facility every three months, Mr Ikwueto said that ‘the last time he was there was December 2021 and became due for another round of treatment this March shortly before he handed over to Soludo’.
The lawyer failed to reveal the exact ailment Obiano is treating but there were rumors that the former governor was diagnosed with prostate cancer early last year.
