The Federal High Court in Umuahia, Abia State, has granted bail to former Abia State Governor, Theodore Ahamefule Orji, and four others, setting bail at N50 million each
Justice Lilian Abai, in a ruling on Friday, February 28, 2025, ordered the defendants to surrender their international passports to the court registrar. Each defendant must also provide a surety with a landed property in Umuahia, backed by a Certificate of Occupancy. The sureties are required to depose an affidavit of means and submit two recent passport photographs.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Orji alongside Engr. Chinedum Orji, Dr. Philip Nto, Onwumene King Obioma, and Romanus K. Madu on a sixteen-count charge of conspiracy, official corruption, stealing, and diversion of public funds exceeding N34 billion.
One of the charges alleges that between 2011 and 2015, the defendants stole and converted ₦22.5 billion allocated to the Abia State Government as security votes, violating Section 390 (5) of the Criminal Code Law of Abia State. Another count accuses them of conspiring between 2010 and 2011 to steal and convert ₦12 billion from the Paris Club Refund, contrary to Sections 516 and 516(a) of the same law.
All five defendants pleaded not guilty. Prosecution counsel Dr. Pinheiro SAN urged the court to set a trial date, while defence lawyers, led by Bode Olanipekun SAN and others, requested bail.
After reviewing the applications, Justice Abai granted bail under the stated conditions and adjourned the trial to June 18 and 19, 2025.
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