TheCable

The Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council (ANSTRC) has condemned a video showing Willie Obiano, immediate past governor of the state, in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In the 12 seconds’ video which has gone viral, the former governor is seen wearing shorts and a shirt, and drinking from a bottle of water.

Reacting to the development in a statement signed by Nnaemeka Achebe, Obi of Onitsha, ANSTRC said the video is designed to “cause embarrassment” to the former governor and people of the state.

“The ANSTRC and, indeed, all traditional rulers of Anambra State are utterly shocked and disappointed that someone of the status of a former State governor would be treated in such a distasteful and reprehensible manner by an agency of the Federal Government,” the statement reads.

“We are equally disturbed that such a video clip found its way out of the highly secure environment of the EFCC onto the social media, obviously, with the intent of causing maximum embarrassment to Chief Obiano and, by extension, the people of Anambra State, whose Governor he was until three days ago on 17 March 2022.

“Without prejudice to the responsibility of the EFCC to carry out its statutory duties, such treatment of Chief Obiano is absolutely dehumanizing and would not bring any value to whatever investigation being conducted by the EFCC.”

ANSTRC asked the EFCC “to treat Chief Obiano with due civility and immediately restore him to his personal comfort whilst expeditiously working to conclude its investigation”.

The traditional rulers also called on President Muhammadu Buhari and Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation, to prevail on the EFCC to desist from the “appalling condition” imposed on the former governor.

@WillieMObiano leaked video from @officialEFCC custody which is causing outrage #OBIANO #EFCC pic.twitter.com/KqYuhnPkWb

— NPOReports🇳🇬 (@NpoReports) March 21, 2022

TheCable had reported that Obiano was taken into custody hours after he attended the inauguration of Chukuwuma Soludo as governor of Anambra, on Thursday.