Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has on Tuesday, April 13 reportedly arrested former governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha
According to PremiumTimes, Okorocha, who is the senator representing Imo North, was arrested Tuesday at about 4:15 pm at his private office in Abuja.
The publication stated the anti-graft agency had repeatedly invited the former governor to its Abuja headquarters in connection with corruption allegations against him.
Mr Okorocha reportedly declined to honour the invitation, a development that made EFCC officials trail him for days and stormed his office on Tuesday evening.
Since he left office as governor in 2019, Okorocha and Uzodinma, both of All Progressives Congress (APC), have been at loggerheads as the governor has accused his predecessor of corruption and personalising state-owned properties during his tenure. Both men are members of Nigeria’s ruling party, APC.
It would be recalled that on February 21, the former governor was arrested by the police for unsealing a hotel owned by his wife but which was shut by the Imo State government. He was later released.
Read Also: Imo Police Confirms Release Of Rochas Okorocha From Custody
In November 2020, the EFCC’s zonal office in Enugu arraigned Lasberry Anyanwu, a former commissioner who served under Okorocha.
He was charged with stealing and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of N180 million.
Also, in 2020, the anti-graft agency said it returned N2.7 billion recovered from Okorocha to the state government.
Imam Usman, zonal head of the EFCC Port Harcourt office, stated that the returned fund is part of the N7.9 billion recovered from different bank accounts linked to the ex-governor.
Usman added that N2.5 billion was returned under the short-lived administration of Emeka Ihedioha, immediate past governor, while Hope Uzodinma, incumbent governor of the state, received N514 million.
EFC zonal head added that it would prosecute Okorocha after concluding its investigation on him, therefore his latest arrest may not be unconnected to this.
