Imo State High Court in Owerri has on Thursday ordered an interim forfeiture of all properties said to be illegally acquired by former governor of the state, Rochas Okorocha, while he was in office from 2011 to 2019.
Justice Fred Njemanze gave the order following an application brought by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Louis Alozie on behalf of the state government.
The suit, with case No. HOW/191/202, had the former Governor’s wife, Mrs. Nkechi Okorocha, Incorporated Trustees of Rochas Foundation and Senator Rochas Okorocha as 1st, 2nd and 3rd respondents respectively against the Attorney-General of Imo state.
Some of the properties listed in the suit include the Eastern Palm University, Ogboko; the controversial Royal Spring Palm Hotels and Apartments; IBC staff quarters said to have been illegally acquired for the purpose of Rochas Foundation College, Owerri and Magistrate Quarters.
Others are;
Orlu road/Cooperative Office/Girls Guide illegally converted to private use housing Market Square, Kilimanjaro eatery; public building plot B/2 Otamiri South Extension Layout given to the Ministry of Women Affairs for establishing a skills acquisition centre for women illegally acquired for the benefit of Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha’s All-In Stall, Aba road.
Others include Plot P5 Naze Residential Layout initially part of Primary School Management Board but now annexed to All-In Stores, Aba Road belonging to Mrs. Nkechi Okorocha and all the properties contained from pages 226 to 272 of the Government White Paper on the recommendation of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Land Administration in Imo state from June 2006 to May 2019.
The application partly reads;
These public properties were converted to personal use by the 1st-3rd respondents and their cronies for which the applicants now intends to recover them in line with the White Paper by the Judicial Commission of Inquiry’s report.
It would be recalled that Okorocha was last week arrested and detained for allegedly personally leading the destruction and vandalism of security vehicles and breaking into the property of Imo State government.
Okorocha was accused of forcefully unsealing his wife’s hotel, Royal Spring Palm Hotel, Owerri, which was sealed by the commissioner for lands and physical planning on behalf of Imo State Government.
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The commissioner said the hotel was built, without permission, on government land.
Okorocha however insisted that there was no court order authorising the State government to take over the massive property.
