Okorocha’s Absence Delays Arraignment Over Alleged N2.9 Billion Fraud

The scheduled arraignment of Rochas Okorocha, former governor of Imo State and Senator representing Imo State, has been postponed.

On Tuesday, the former government was set to be arraigned in Abuja’s Federal High Court on a N2.9 billion corruption charge.

Senator Okorocha was not present in court and was not represented by a lawyer.

Six other defendants who were supposed to be arraigned alongside him on 17 counts of corruption were, however, present in court.

Mr Cosmos Ugwu, counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), told the trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, that serving the former governor of Imo State had failed.

He said that the retinue of security operatives surrounding the Senator had made it impossible for Okorocha to be served in person by court officials.

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Other defendants in the charge did not object to the request for adjournment.

Justice Ekwo subsequently fixed March 28 to enable EFCC to serve him with the charge and to take his plea.

According to EFCC, the former Imo governor allegedly conspired with others, including a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and five companies, to steal N2.9 billion public funds.

Others listed as respondents to the suit are Anyim Nyerere Chinenye, Naphtali International Limited, Perfect Finish Multi Projects Limited, Consolid Projects Consulting Limited, Pramif International Limited, and Legend World Concepts Limited.

His co-accused, Nyerere, according to sources, was the APC governorship candidate in Abia State during the 2015 elections and currently serves as a commissioner at the National Pension Commission.

The accused persons were alleged to have stolen the said amount belonging to Imo State and local government areas in the state in contravention of the Money Laundering Act 2011.

The charges claimed that the stolen funds were diverted between October 2014 and February 2016 from the Imo State Government House’s account and Imo State Joint Local Government Project’s account.

Reports also revealed that Nyerere remains the Director of Consolid Projects Consulting Limited, Pramif International Limited, and Legend World Concepts Limited, even as he holds a public office – potentially breaching the nation’s Code of Conduct laws.

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The EFCC had on April 2021, arrested the former governor, and interrogated him over issues bothering on alleged corruption before he was admitted to administrative bail.