The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, on Wednesday hailed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for arresting the former Governor of Imo State and a sitting Senator, Rochas Okorocha.
On Tuesday, EFCC officials and security agents stormed his residence in Abuja and took him after breaking in.
The commission accused Okorocha of shunning multiple invitations and jumping administrative bail.
In a release issued by CACOL’s Director of Administration and Programmes, Mr. Tola Oresanwo, on behalf of Mr. Debo Adeniran, the Chairman of the Centre, he stated, “It is instructive to note that 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.
“Nigeria has been corrupted to the extent that people jumped bail at will. It is wrong of Rochas Okorocha to tie his arrest and predicaments to an effort at truncating his presidential ambition as he had been making people to believe. If his hands are clean, why dishonour EFCC’s invitation? This is a man who wants to preside over the affairs of this country, yet he found it difficult to obey the law of the land by jumping bail and evading arrest.
“In as much as we want to condemn the Gestapo nature of the siege and his eventual arrest, we want to be on the side of caution to reiterate that we fully support his arrest, interrogation and prosecution if found wanton.
“EFCC could have been more patient till Okorocha attempts to go out or catch up with him at any public place or function instead of the alleged breaking in through the ceiling.
“While we heartily appreciate the President Muhammed Buhari’s government in exposing the unbridled fleecing of our commonwealth under whatever guise, we at CACOL enjoin the Administration to not only retrieve all ill-gotten wealth from wherever it has been repatriated but to ensure that adequate deterrence is meted out on those indicted for the evils of corruptive practices to take flight from our sociopolitical space.
“We also call on EFCC to expedite the prosecution of Senator Rochas Okorocha and his partners in crime and if found guilty, should be punished by the law, through the appropriate section of the Criminal Law.”
