ABUJA — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has finally arrested the former Governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, after lying a long siege to his residence in Maitama, the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Tuesday.
The officers of the anti-graft agency whisked away from the embattled Senator at exactly 06:48 pm in their vehicle after breaking into his living room.
Minutes before his living room was broken, Okorocha came on a live video on his official Facebook page, alleging that the commission’s officers had broken all his bulletproof doors.
He said, “The EFCC operatives are here with some gunmen and they have broken all my bulletproof doors. This may be my last appearance because I don’t know what they want to do.”
Okorocha and his family members could be seen in the video running around the living room in fear of the officers who were banging on the door leading to the living room.
Earlier on, security operatives accompanying officials of the EFCC shot sporadically to disperse female supporters protesting at the ex-governor’s home in a show of solidarity.
The women had come to protest the continued siege on Okorocha’s residence by the operatives, demanding an end to the siege.
Reacting to the development, his lawyer, Ola Olanipekun, berated the commission for laying siege to the house of the Senator.
Olanipekun in a statement shortly after the arrest stated that EFCC presented no warrant of arrest.
He said, “Before now, there were issues on the grounds that there were extant court orders restraining arrest, restraining interrogation.
“There are court orders made by the Federal High Court in Abuja and Port Harcourt restraining interrogation on this matter.
“So, what I have sought to do is to ask, were there letters for the invitation? There are none.
“Were there any warrant for arrest? There is none. Are there court processes to be served? There are none. In fact, processes of court are served by court officials. Who are the bailiffs of the court?”
He noted that the siege was unnecessary as Okorocha wasn’t caught committing an offence.
“If you caught him committing an offence, then you could arrest him there and then. Do you have a warrant of arrest? None is available in this case.
“You can invite him, write to him or even call him on the phone and ask him to oblige you to come, agree to a date and the gentleman will show up. All this siege is unnecessary.
“I, therefore, say it’s a breach of the fundamental human rights of citizen Rochas Okorocha and it has to stop.”
