The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has told a
former Governor of Imo State and Senator representing Imo West
Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Rochas
Okorocha, to get ready for his day in court.
Speaking at the commission’s zonal office in Port Harcourt,
Rivers on Thursday, the Zonal Head, Usman Imam, said N7.9bn
belonging to Imo was seized from the former governor during EFCC
investigations.
Imam, who has been in charge of the ongoing probe of the former
governor, said the commission returned over N5.7bn to various
administrations in Imo to pay salaries and pensions of workers.
He said: “I started the Imo state case in Enugu and upon my
deployment to this zone, the investigations of corruption
allegations against the former Governor of Imo State, Rochas
Okorocha, was transfered from the Enugu zone to Port Harcourt for
further investigations.
“Within the period, the commission succeeded in freezing about
N7.9bn in different accounts. All the monies that were released to
Imo State government were from the N7.9bn recovered from Okorocha.
The monies were released in batches.
“N2.7bn was released in March for salaries. In the PDP
government of Emeka Ihedioha, excess of N2.5bn upon series of
writings and our insistence of monitoring it, was released to pay
salaries and pensions because they were monies recovered from the
state so it has to go back to the state.
“Then the government of Emeka left and this government came, we
had a remnant of the money in excess of N2bn. We were able to
release N514milion just last month because excess of about N1.8bn
is encumbered with a court process. Contractors went to court and
targeted the funds. The process is lingering. They still have
excess of N1.8bn that is not released”.
Apart from the money recovered from Okorocha, the EFCC zonal
boss said the senator’s assets were also identified in Imo and
Abuja and seized by the commission.
He said the commission filed a court process for interim
forfeiture of the assets confiscated from Okorocha.
He said: “The investigation has got to an advanced stage and we
are expecting that on conclusion, we are going to arraign the
former governor.
“It is in the course of investigations that we targeted his
assets. Some are in Imo, Owerri and some are in Abuja. We marked
these properties in Abuja and we have filed court processes for
interim forfeiture of these assets. The target is to conclude the
investigations and he will have his day in court”.
Imam explained that since he assumed the leadership of the zone
in January, the commission has recovered N291.8million, 847,983 US
Dollars, 390 pounds, 10,900 Euros and 500 CFA.
He said the commission also froze over N1.1bn in the accounts of
Bluekey Technologies allegedly operating a ponzi scheme and
defrauding over 8,926 victims of over N4.4bn.
He said the EFFCC further secured interim forfeiture of 96
trucks, vessels and barges while 226 drums of automotive gas oil
and 1million litres of suspected crude oil were finally forfeited
to the Federal Government.
Imam explained that the son received 441 petitions, successfully
investigated 262 with 159 awaiting legal advice and 20 others
charged to court.
On the challenges of the commission, he said: “Fighting
corruption comes with its peculiar challenges. The corrupt are not
going to fold their hands while you retrieve what they had stolen.
They would fight back.
“This has come in the form of sponsored media attacks. A
blogger, one Dikeocha Chukwuebuka, who caused the zone serious
blushes by posting fake pictures of purported overcrowded EFCC cell
was arrested and currently under prosecution.
“Other challenges are non-cooperation,m and delayed response to
this commission’s enquiries by some agencies; logistic challenge in
investigating oil bunkering cases and inadequate office
accommodation for staff”.
“In spite of the challenges, the zone remains committed to
actualising the mandate of the commission, which is to eradicate
corruption in Nigeria”.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has told a
former Governor of Imo State and Senator representing Imo West
Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Rochas
Okorocha, to get ready for his day in court.
Speaking at the commission’s zonal office in Port Harcourt,
Rivers on Thursday, the Zonal Head, Usman Imam, said N7.9bn
belonging to Imo was seized from the former governor during EFCC
investigations.
Imam, who has been in charge of the ongoing probe of the former
governor, said the commission returned over N5.7bn to various
administrations in Imo to pay salaries and pensions of workers.
He said: “I started the Imo state case in Enugu and upon my
deployment to this zone, the investigations of corruption
allegations against the former Governor of Imo State, Rochas
Okorocha, was transfered from the Enugu zone to Port Harcourt for
further investigations.
“Within the period, the commission succeeded in freezing about
N7.9bn in different accounts. All the monies that were released to
Imo State government were from the N7.9bn recovered from Okorocha.
The monies were released in batches.
“N2.7bn was released in March for salaries. In the PDP
government of Emeka Ihedioha, excess of N2.5bn upon series of
writings and our insistence of monitoring it, was released to pay
salaries and pensions because they were monies recovered from the
state so it has to go back to the state.
“Then the government of Emeka left and this government came, we
had a remnant of the money in excess of N2bn. We were able to
release N514milion just last month because excess of about N1.8bn
is encumbered with a court process. Contractors went to court and
targeted the funds. The process is lingering. They still have
excess of N1.8bn that is not released”.
Apart from the money recovered from Okorocha, the EFCC zonal
boss said the senator’s assets were also identified in Imo and
Abuja and seized by the commission.
He said the commission filed a court process for interim
forfeiture of the assets confiscated from Okorocha.
He said: “The investigation has got to an advanced stage and we
are expecting that on conclusion, we are going to arraign the
former governor.
“It is in the course of investigations that we targeted his
assets. Some are in Imo, Owerri and some are in Abuja. We marked
these properties in Abuja and we have filed court processes for
interim forfeiture of these assets. The target is to conclude the
investigations and he will have his day in court”.
Imam explained that since he assumed the leadership of the zone
in January, the commission has recovered N291.8million, 847,983 US
Dollars, 390 pounds, 10,900 Euros and 500 CFA.
He said the commission also froze over N1.1bn in the accounts of
Bluekey Technologies allegedly operating a ponzi scheme and
defrauding over 8,926 victims of over N4.4bn.
He said the EFFCC further secured interim forfeiture of 96
trucks, vessels and barges while 226 drums of automotive gas oil
and 1million litres of suspected crude oil were finally forfeited
to the Federal Government.
Imam explained that the son received 441 petitions, successfully
investigated 262 with 159 awaiting legal advice and 20 others
charged to court.
On the challenges of the commission, he said: “Fighting
corruption comes with its peculiar challenges. The corrupt are not
going to fold their hands while you retrieve what they had stolen.
They would fight back.
“This has come in the form of sponsored media attacks. A
blogger, one Dikeocha Chukwuebuka, who caused the zone serious
blushes by posting fake pictures of purported overcrowded EFCC cell
was arrested and currently under prosecution.
“Other challenges are non-cooperation,m and delayed response to
this commission’s enquiries by some agencies; logistic challenge in
investigating oil bunkering cases and inadequate office
accommodation for staff”.
“In spite of the challenges, the zone remains committed to
actualising the mandate of the commission, which is to eradicate
corruption in Nigeria”.