The police on Sunday arrested a former Imo State Governor Rochas
Okorocha for allegedly breaking into a sealed property belonging to
his wife.
![image](/2020/10/lawreport.jpg")
He will be charged on Monday, police sources said.
![image](/2021/01/payne-alex.jpg")
Okorocha was still in custody at the state police command as of
10 pm.
He was asked to write a statement, but the former governor
insisted that the state officials must leave.
The former governor was accused of forcing open the Royal Spring
Palm Estate sealed by the state government.
Accompanied by his son in law, Uche Nwosu, the Senator allegedly
broke the keys in a bid to recover the property belonging to his
wife Nkechi.
Loyalists of the state government were said to have confronted
them. One person was injured in the ensuing melee.
The government, on Friday, recovered the estate along Akachi
Road belonging.
Commissioner for Lands, Enyinnaya Onuegbu, said the seizure
complied with a gazette on the report of the Judicial Commission of
Enquiry on Recovery of Lands and other Related Matters.
Okorocha, who was led into a sienna vehicle by policemen, was
driven to the command at about 5 pm.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, said
the former governor took some thugs to the estate and forcefully
broke the government seal to gain entry into the estate
He confirmed that the Senator representing Imo West would be
arraigned today.
Confirming the arrest, the Police Public Relations Officer,
Orlando Ikeokwu (SP), said the command received a distress
call.
“We discovered that Senator Okorocha allegedly led some people
to the place sealed by the state government. This generated unrest
and some youths from Owerri stormed the place.
“Right now he is in our custody and the Commissioner of Police
has directed a full-scale investigation into the incident.
“If found culpable, he would be prosecuted according to the
provision of the law,” he said.
Those arrested along with the former governor include Steve
Asimobi, Lasbrey Okaforanywu and Ijeoma Iboanusi.
It was gathered that about 12 vehicles with which the senator
and his supporters went into the estate, were destroyed.
The tyres of the white Hyundai Bus in which Okorocha drove into
the premises were flattened with their windscreens shattered.
His orderly was also seen in a pool of his blood. He was said to
have been shot in the head; others said he was stabbed in the
chest.
Okorocha was said to have forcefully pushed away security
vehicles mounted in front of the entry to guard against trespassers
and destroyed the padlock that sealed the property and moved in
with his men.
Social media consultant for the Imo state government, Mr Ambrose
Nwogwugwu, alleged that the former governor led armed thugs and
“destroyed and vandalised security vehicles and broke into the
property of the Imo State government”.
While Okorocha and his group were still there, Mr Chinasa
Nwaneri, Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Duties,
mobilised and led another group of thugs loyal to the governor to
enforce the sealing of the property.
One of the aides of the senator, Onwuasoanya Jones, said his
boss did not break into the Royal Palms Apartments.
“He was there to forestall a total breakdown of law and order by
prevailing on his numerous supporters and ordinary citizens of Imo
State who had gone there in protest against the state government’s
forceful takeover of the property not to take laws into their
hands.
“As a former governor and a current Senator, the philanthropist
understands the processes of seeking redress when hurt by the
government.
“I can assure you that officials of the state government might
have planted the story of him breaking into the property to malign
him.
“Had he been a believer in violence or any sort of self-help,
there would have been a bloodbath, because Okorocha remains very
popular in the state as against Hope Uzodimma whom Imo people
detest his very sight.
“Some Imolites were spoilt to unleash mayhem on agents of the
state government and thugs hired by the governor to attack
Okorocha, but as a statesman, Okorocha stopped them from fighting
back, even when the hoodlums sent by Governor Uzodimma had
physically harassed aides of the governor, including firing
gunshots at some.”
Okorocha’s Media Adviser, Sam Onwuemeodo alleged that the
Senator was attacked by armed thugs.
“They attacked and damaged all the vehicles in his convoy. They
also attacked his aides.
“Senator Okorocha was with only his aides when the thugs
unleashed the attack.
“If he had expected the attack, he would not have moved with his
aides alone; he had never been a violent man all his life.
“This planned attack is unprovoked and unwarranted. It has
opened a new but ugly chapter in the politics of the state.”
The police on Sunday arrested a former Imo State Governor Rochas
Okorocha for allegedly breaking into a sealed property belonging to
his wife.
He will be charged on Monday, police sources said.
Okorocha was still in custody at the state police command as of
10 pm.
He was asked to write a statement, but the former governor
insisted that the state officials must leave.
The former governor was accused of forcing open the Royal Spring
Palm Estate sealed by the state government.
Accompanied by his son in law, Uche Nwosu, the Senator allegedly
broke the keys in a bid to recover the property belonging to his
wife Nkechi.
Loyalists of the state government were said to have confronted
them. One person was injured in the ensuing melee.
The government, on Friday, recovered the estate along Akachi
Road belonging.
Commissioner for Lands, Enyinnaya Onuegbu, said the seizure
complied with a gazette on the report of the Judicial Commission of
Enquiry on Recovery of Lands and other Related Matters.
Okorocha, who was led into a sienna vehicle by policemen, was
driven to the command at about 5 pm.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, said
the former governor took some thugs to the estate and forcefully
broke the government seal to gain entry into the estate
He confirmed that the Senator representing Imo West would be
arraigned today.
Confirming the arrest, the Police Public Relations Officer,
Orlando Ikeokwu (SP), said the command received a distress
call.
“We discovered that Senator Okorocha allegedly led some people
to the place sealed by the state government. This generated unrest
and some youths from Owerri stormed the place.
“Right now he is in our custody and the Commissioner of Police
has directed a full-scale investigation into the incident.
“If found culpable, he would be prosecuted according to the
provision of the law,” he said.
Those arrested along with the former governor include Steve
Asimobi, Lasbrey Okaforanywu and Ijeoma Iboanusi.
It was gathered that about 12 vehicles with which the senator
and his supporters went into the estate, were destroyed.
The tyres of the white Hyundai Bus in which Okorocha drove into
the premises were flattened with their windscreens shattered.
His orderly was also seen in a pool of his blood. He was said to
have been shot in the head; others said he was stabbed in the
chest.
Okorocha was said to have forcefully pushed away security
vehicles mounted in front of the entry to guard against trespassers
and destroyed the padlock that sealed the property and moved in
with his men.
Social media consultant for the Imo state government, Mr Ambrose
Nwogwugwu, alleged that the former governor led armed thugs and
“destroyed and vandalised security vehicles and broke into the
property of the Imo State government”.
While Okorocha and his group were still there, Mr Chinasa
Nwaneri, Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Duties,
mobilised and led another group of thugs loyal to the governor to
enforce the sealing of the property.
One of the aides of the senator, Onwuasoanya Jones, said his
boss did not break into the Royal Palms Apartments.
“He was there to forestall a total breakdown of law and order by
prevailing on his numerous supporters and ordinary citizens of Imo
State who had gone there in protest against the state government’s
forceful takeover of the property not to take laws into their
hands.
“As a former governor and a current Senator, the philanthropist
understands the processes of seeking redress when hurt by the
government.
“I can assure you that officials of the state government might
have planted the story of him breaking into the property to malign
him.
“Had he been a believer in violence or any sort of self-help,
there would have been a bloodbath, because Okorocha remains very
popular in the state as against Hope Uzodimma whom Imo people
detest his very sight.
“Some Imolites were spoilt to unleash mayhem on agents of the
state government and thugs hired by the governor to attack
Okorocha, but as a statesman, Okorocha stopped them from fighting
back, even when the hoodlums sent by Governor Uzodimma had
physically harassed aides of the governor, including firing
gunshots at some.”
Okorocha’s Media Adviser, Sam Onwuemeodo alleged that the
Senator was attacked by armed thugs.
“They attacked and damaged all the vehicles in his convoy. They
also attacked his aides.
“Senator Okorocha was with only his aides when the thugs
unleashed the attack.
“If he had expected the attack, he would not have moved with his
aides alone; he had never been a violent man all his life.
“This planned attack is unprovoked and unwarranted. It has
opened a new but ugly chapter in the politics of the state.”