Updated: EFCC arrests Okorocha
Andrew Orolua, Abuja
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, arrested a former Imo State governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha, over allegations of corrupt practices while in office.
Okorocha was nabbed at about 4.00 pm at his Unity House private office in Abuja after he allegedly attempted to evade the arrest, sources familiar with the matter said.
The former governor was said to have had a five-hour standoff with EFCC operatives who trailed him to the location after he repeatedly ignored the anti-graft agency’s invitations to appear before it.
According to sources, the commission had repeatedly invited Okorocha to its Abuja headquarters in connection with multiple corruption allegations leveled against him.
But he declined to honour any of the invitations. Therefore, operatives/ detectives who had been on his trail were ordered to apprehend him.
It was not certain at the time of this report whether, Okorocha who was still being interrogated at the EFCC headquarters at about 9.00 pm, would be allowed to go home.
Although details of the allegations against the senator are sketchy, our sources said they are not unconnected with alleged monumental graft during his eight-year governorship for which some of his key officials are already standing trial.
Okorocha’s spokesperson, Sam Onwuemeodo, could not be reached Tuesday evening to comment on this report.
When contacted, EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed that the former governor is in the agency’s custody.
He declined further comments when pressed for details of the allegations against the politician.
Since he left office as governor in 2019, Okorocha has been having a running battle with his successor, Governor Hope Uzodinma, who accused him of misappropriation, bad governance and corruption.
Though both men are members of ruling All Progressives Congress(APC). they have been enmeshed in bitter bickering.
On February 21, the former governor was arrested by the police for unsealing a hotel owned by his wife that was shut by the Imo State government.
He was later released.
In November 2020, the EFCC’s zonal office in Enugu arraigned Lasberry Anyanwu, a former commissioner who served under Mr Okorocha on graft charges . He was accused of stealing and misappropriating N180 million of
public funds.
