Okorocha battles Buhari’s govt in court

Imo Gov. Rochas Okorocha has sued three agencies of the APC-led federal government for what his lawyer calls braching of the governor’s fundamental human rights.

The APC governor filed his case before justice Musa Kurya of the Jos federal high court, demanding N1.25 billion as general damages.

He alleged that the EFCC and the police broke into his house om Jos without a search warrant.

Joined in the suit are the attorney-general of the federation, the Plateau commissoner of police.

Through his counsel Markus Saleh (SAN), Okorocha told the court that on May 3, the EFCC invaded his home in Jos and held his family members and staff hostage in a search conducted without any court warrant.

He prayed the court to declare the action as “illegal, null and void” as there was no valid court warrant for such an exercise.

He also wanted the court issue a perpetual injunction restraining the police and the EFCC from further doing anything as such in his homes across the country.

Another other he sought is the declaration that only the Imo House of Assembly has the constitutional rights and power to supervise, monitor, legislate, appropriate and demand accounting of public funds of the state from him.

The judge has adjourned to January 24 for the adoption of final written addresses by all parties in the case.

Okorocha, until lately, had been one of the closest governors to President Muhammadu Buhari.

But the governor’s move to impose his son-in-law as the APC guber candidate in Imo estranged him to Buhari.