Court adjourns Woherem’s alleged forgery, money laundering trial to March 2027

By Kingsley Omonobi The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has adjourned till March 18, 2027, for continuation of the trial of Chief Anthony Woherem, who is being prosecuted by the Inspector-General of Police over alleged forgery and money laundering. The case came up on Thursday before Justice Binta Nyako, with prosecution counsel, John Ijagbemi, informing the court that the matter was scheduled for continuation of trial and that the prosecution was ready to proceed.

Ijagbemi, however, told the court that the defence had raised concerns about some of the processes filed by the prosecution, adding that the issue had not been resolved. When the court asked why the processes had not been regularised, the prosecution counsel said he had addressed the concerns and filed additional proof of evidence, which he said was served on the defence on September 18, 2026.

The defence counsel offered to pay for photocopies of the prosecution’s processes, following which the court directed the prosecution to make the documents available for copying. The court subsequently adjourned the matter till March 18, 2027, for continuation of trial. Woherem was arraigned on March 11, 2026, in a charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/681/2025.

He was granted bail in the sum of ₦150 million, with two sureties required to provide ₦50 million each, while he was also ordered to provide ₦50 million. Justice Nyako further ruled that the sureties must own verifiable properties within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and directed Woherem to deposit all his travel documents with the court as part of the bail conditions.

The case followed an interim police investigation report which linked Woherem to allegations of criminal conspiracy, threat to life, forgery and unlawful conversion of property. The investigation reportedly followed a petition dated February 2, 2025, submitted to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 7 Headquarters, Abuja. The petitioners, Mr Damiebi Denni-Fiberesima and Mrs Alice Denni-Fiberesima, alleged that Woherem forged documents relating to a landed property along NTA Road, Mgbuoba, Rumuokuta, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Mrs Denni-Fiberesima claimed that the property was given to her and her husband by her late father, Chief Edward Wanele Woherem, as a wedding gift in February 2003. According to the petition, Woherem allegedly forged a Deed of Grant, obtained a Certificate of Occupancy and sold the property to one Lawrence Ozoemena without the family’s consent. She maintained that the disputed property belonged to her family by virtue of the gift made by her late father.

“Our father publicly presented the land to my husband and me as a wedding gift, and the documents were properly executed before witnesses,” she said. The allegations are before the court and have yet to be established at trial.