He Jumped Bail, Ignored Several Invitations From Us – EFCC
Imo state ex-Governor, Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha has cried out that officials of Nigeria’s foremost anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission are holding him hostage in his house in Maitaima, Abuja, just as he was getting set to depart to Transcorp Hilton, venue for the governing Party’s Presidential screening exercise.
Okorocha, who governed Imo for eight years and is currently the Senator representing Imo West District in the National Assembly has been at loggerheads with the Anti-graft agency and the Imo State Government over alleged embezzlement of public funds and abuse of trust running into several billions of Naira.
However, his supporters have taken to social media to decry what they see as “political persecution and witch-hunting of their principal, over his presidential ambition.” Some of his supporters pointed out that the idea of attempting to arrest the Imo West Senator on the date of APC’s presidential screening could not be a mere coincidence but an orchestrated plan to stop him from appearing before the screening panel, thereby potentially depriving him the opportunity to contest.
Okorocha’s aides also accused the EFCC of embarking on illegal duty, as they neither provided a warrant of arrest against their principal nor any evidence that the multibillionaire politician has failed to honour previous invitations from the Commission.
But in a swift reaction, the EFCC denied the allegation of being used for political witch-hunt against Okorocha. The Agency explained that the former governor had failed to keep to the terms of an administrative bail granted to him few months ago following his arrest and also failed to honour several invitations extended to him by the Commission.
As at the time of filing this report, personnel of the anti-graft agency are still in a standoff with Okorocha as the latter has refused to submit himself for arrest.
Meantime, some analysts believe that Okorocha will use his contacts in the presidency to ensure that he is not arrested by the EFCC officials.
