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Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Okorocha nabbed, doing time in EFFC net

The EFCC confirmed Mr Okorocha’s arrest but did not give further details.

• April 13, 2021
Former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha
Former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha [Photo credit: BBC]

Former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has been arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Premium Times reports.

The serving senator was arrested after a five-hour standoff with operatives of the EFCC at his private office in Abuja on Tuesday, the news outlet said.

The EFCC had in 2020 hinted of its plans to arraign the former governor for alleged embezzlement of public funds during his time as governor of Imo.

In June 2020, Usman Imam, the Zonal Head of EFCC in Port Harcourt, disclosed that he started the  investigation of Mr Okorocha when he was at the Enugu zonal office of the commission, adding that the ex-governor would be prosecuted after investigation had been concluded.

Mr Imam also revealed that the EFCC froze about N7.9 billion in different bank accounts linked to Mr Okorocha.

Sources told Premium Times that the anti-graft agency had on multiple occasions invited the former governor to their Abuja headquarters to respond to corruption allegations levelled against him.

However, Mr Okorocha failed to honour the invitation, resulting in his arrest.

Confirming the arrest, EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said Mr Okorocha  is in the custody of EFCC.

The Imo senator who is currently being grilled at the EFCC headquarters might spend the night in custody as it had not been stated if he will be allowed to go home today.

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