EFCC Arrest Rochas Okorocha 

Officers from the anti-graft agency and the Nigeria Police Force surrounded Mr Okorocha’s Maitama home on Tuesday afternoon to arrest him.

By Omotayo Olutekunbi

Rochas Okorocha, the former governor of Imo state, has been detained by officials from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Officers from the anti-graft agency and the Nigeria Police Force surrounded Mr Okorocha’s Maitama home on Tuesday afternoon to arrest him.

The arrest came after months of Mr Okorocha dodging the commission and refusing to accept invitations, according to a statement read by BluePrint Africa and signed by the spokesperson Wilson Ujuwaren.

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

Mr Okorocha was charged with stealing N2.9 billion in public monies by the anti-graft authority in January.

The parties shifted cash from the Imo State Government House account and the Imo State Joint Local Government Project account into the accounts of private entities, according to the Commission, between October 2014 and February 2016.

Naphtali International Limited, Perfect Finish Multi Projects Limited, Consolid Projects Consulting Limited, Pramif International Limited, and Legend World Concepts Limited were among the other defendants in the case.

The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, ordered the anti-graft agency to cease prosecuting Rochas Okorocha, the former governor of Imo state.

Mr Okorocha sought President Muhammadu Buhari to prohibit the Commission from carrying out court orders in his case at a meeting with him.

The agency informed the Federal High Court’s Abuja division that Mr Okorocha was avoiding delivery of the 17-count fraud allegation it had filed against him and the others.