The Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri has affirmed the conviction and three-year prison sentence of Prince Laseberry Okafor Anyanwu, a former Commissioner for Transport under ex-Governor Rochas Okorocha, for his role in the fraudulent diversion of N180 million from the coffers of Imo State. The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, July 30, 2025, marks a critical victory in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s crackdown on politically linked corruption in the South-East.
Anyanwu, who was arraigned by the EFCC’s Enugu Zonal Directorate in 2020, had faced a four-count charge of abuse of office and corruption. The charges stemmed from his tenure as Chairman of the Committee on the Review of Imo Transport Company, during which he orchestrated the transfer of state funds into accounts belonging to Oma Oil & Industries Limited — a company in which he held direct interest as shareholder, chairman, and account signatory.
One of the charges detailed how between November 6 and 10, 2017, the sum of N100 million was siphoned from Imo Transport Company’s account with the state microfinance bank into Oma Oil’s Polaris Bank account. A second transaction, executed on January 31, 2018, moved an additional N80 million from the Ministry of Transport into the same private company’s account.
Following his arrest and trial before Justice K. A. Lewanya of the Imo State High Court, Anyanwu pleaded not guilty. However, EFCC counsel, ACE II Michael Ikechukwu Ani, called three witnesses and presented documentary evidence that the court found compelling. On March 14, 2023, Justice Lewanya convicted Anyanwu on three counts and sentenced him to one year per count without the option of a fine, to run concurrently. He was acquitted on one count.
The judge also ordered that the N180 million linked to the fraudulent transactions — already placed under interim forfeiture — be permanently forfeited to the Imo State Government. Anyanwu subsequently appealed the judgment, asking the appellate court to overturn the ruling.
But in a unanimous decision delivered by a three-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Lawal Abubakar, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal for lacking merit. The justices held that the convict used his office to secure private benefits from state contracts, in direct violation of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
EFCC spokespersons have welcomed the ruling as another decisive blow against abuse of power and public trust, vowing to continue the pursuit of justice in high-profile financial crimes. The Commission reiterated that its investigative teams remain vigilant and committed to dismantling corrupt networks in both political and corporate spaces.
