Former governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha has broken his silence on his arrest by the EFCC on Tuesday, April 13.
Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday confirmed the arrest of Okorocha after failing to honour several invitations of the anti-graft agency over corruption allegations.
He was arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at about 4 P.M. Tuesday at his Unity House private office in Abuja.
Details of the allegations against the senator are sketchy but our sources said they are related to suspected monumental graft during his eight-year reign as governor.
However, in a statement signed by his spokesman, he explained that he wasn’t arrested but was only invited due to some petition written against him after he left government.
The statement reads in part: “The truth is that Okorocha left as the governor of Imo State on May 28, 2019. And shortly after his exit as governor, Imo State Government wrote petitions upon petitions against him.
“The EFCC investigated the petitions and has been in various courts of the land with Okorocha to that effect.
“And if the EFCC has decided to invite Okorocha for clarifications on the matters already in courts, especially with a new Chairman at the helm of affairs at the Commission, there is nothing wrong with that. The matters between EFCC and Okorocha over his governorship in Imo have been pendent in various courts of the land.
“At the end of the day, we would know whether the Commission will be withdrawing the cases in courts, or would continue with the cases already in courts.
“But to us, the Commission is doing its job and should be given the needed cooperation. And Okorocha being a law-abiding citizen, would always cooperate with the Commission over the matters in courts. EFCC is not a slaughterhouse, but a very responsible institution and should be seen as such.
“We have no reason to complain about the invitation of on Tuesday, which Okorocha honoured as a patriotic and responsible Nigerian.
“As we stated earlier, the Commission didn’t invite Okorocha today, for the first time.”