Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) finally arrested former Imo State Governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha, after a 6-hour siege at his Abuja residence on Tuesday.
Okorocha was arrested at about 6:30pm at his residence in the Maitama area of Abuja.
In the early hours of Tuesday, EFCC operatives besieged the lawmaker’s house, stopping occupants from leaving.
Okorocha had raised the alarm that the EFCC was planning to stop him from partaking in the presidential screening and that stakeholders in the country should come to his aid.
Dozens of protesters had stormed Okorocha’s home to protest the security siege of the former governor’s house.
The EFCC, in a statement by its spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, stated that the siege was to arrest Mr Okorocha because he had jumped an administrative bail and resisted being served court papers for his corruption trial.
“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,” Uwujaren wrote in the statement.
