DEVELOPING:

Former Imo State Governor, ROCHAS OKOROCHA begs for mercy as EFCC whisks suspect into a waiting van for Squandering 2.9billion Naira Public Fund

… anti-graft agency filed 17-count criminal charge bordering on diversion of public funds and properties, ‘It’s a lie, EFCC don’t want me to contest presidential screening this Saturday’, Okorocha screams while been taken away 

*“Our commission on May 24, 2022, arrived at the Maitama, Abuja home of a former governor of Imo state, Senator Rochas Okorocha, to effect his arrest. The move followed the refusal of the former governor to honour invitations after jumping the administrative bail earlier granted him by the Commission. Okorocha’s case was assigned to Honourable Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja but attempts to arraign Senator Okorocha were twice stalled owing to the absence of the ex-governor who evaded service of processes. At the last adjourned date, March 28th, 2022, Justice Ekwo before adjourning until May 30th, 2022”-EFCC

*BY ABBA USMAN/CRIME & JUDICIAL Correspondent, Abuja

DANIEL has come to judgment, as Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, finally arrested a former Governor of  Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, after a long siege to his Maitama residence in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Tuesday.

The EFCC officers whisked the embattled former governor away at exactly 06:48 pm in their vehicle after breaking into his living room.

Minutes before the officers broke in, Okorocha, in a live video made on his official Facebook Page, said officers of the commission had broken all his bulletproof doors.

He said, “The EFCC operatives are here with some gunmen and they have broken all my bulletproof doors. This may be my last appearance because I don’t know what they want to do.”

Okorocha and his family members could be seen in the video running around the living room in fear of the officers who were banging on the door leading to the living room.

Earlier on, security operatives accompanying officials of the EFCC shot sporadically to disperse female supporters protesting at the ex-governor’s home in a show of solidarity.

The women had come to protest the continued siege on Okorocha’s residence by the operatives, demanding an end to the siege.

EFCC has advanced reasons why its personnel occupied the Abuja home of a former governor of Imo state, Senator Rochas Okorocha, to effect his arrest on Tuesday.

The anti-graft agency said the action followed the refusal of the former governor to honour invitations after jumping the administrative bail earlier granted him by the Commission.

The EFCC gave the explanation in a statement shared on its Facebook page on Tuesday titled, ‘Why We Are At Okorocha’s Home-EFCC’. 

The statement read, “Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on May 24, 2022, arrived at the Maitama, Abuja home of a former governor of Imo state, Senator Rochas Okorocha, to effect his arrest.

“The move followed the refusal of the former governor to honour invitations after jumping the administrative bail earlier granted him by the Commission.

EFCC had on January 24, 2022 filed a 17-count criminal charge bordering on diversion of public funds and properties to the tune of N2.9billion against Okorocha.

“The case was assigned to Honourable Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja but attempts to arraign Senator Okorocha were twice stalled owing to the absence of the ex-governor who evaded service of processes.

“At the last adjourned date, March 28th, 2022, Justice Ekwo before adjourning until May 30th, 2022, had warned that it was “the last adjournment I shall grant in this matter”.

“In the circumstances, the Commission is left with no option than to effect the arrest of Senator Okorocha and bring him to trial.”

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