EFCC Goes After Okorocha, Wife, Daughter’s Assets

The travails of the immediate past Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha continues with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) obtaining an interim order forfeiting assets traced to him and his wife, Nneoma Nkechi.

Also, the Commission has obtained similar order on a property identified with the former governor’s daughter, Uloma Okorocha-Nwosu and his aide, one Mr Paschal Obi.

Head of the Enugu Zonal Office of EFCC, Mr Usman Imam, dropped the hints on Wednesday in Enugu at media briefing on the Commission’s activities in the last eight months.

Imam said the Commission has established prima facie cases against the suspects which they must answer in court, adding that the EFCC would like to know how the Rochas Foundation and other accomplices acquired and or converted some of the public property for personal use.

He listed some of the property as a 16-block cum 96 flats; an eight-bungalow multimillion naira estate; hotel; two schools; shopping plaza; supermarket; hospital; and four vehicles.

Imam said while the hospital was traced to Obi, the remaining property were traced to the former governor and his family, including his wife and daughter.

“We hope to get permanent forfeiture orders on the property in order to return them to the people of the state,” the EFCC chief said.

He further said all the facilities, including the schools, would remain functional as the Commission would not like to shut them down for the sake of the students and other users.

According to Imam, “Other recoveries were made and are awaiting forfeiture, but for the court vacation. They include a twin three-storey building with a three bedroom bungalow and a duplex, both in Enugu. These property were recovered from cyber fraudsters.”

He also said that within the period under review, the EFCC, recovered N213.85 million and 10, 600 US dollars, adding; “In one of such recoveries, one Augustine Ejimokor, who defrauded his victim of the sum of 5,000 US dollars and used it to acquire a Mercedez Benz C300 was ordered to forfeit the vehicle.

“So far, the zone has arrested 88 suspected fraudsters since 2015, with 70 of them in 2019. This underscores the efforts of the present zonal head in conformity with the acting chairman’s directives.”

The officer said the zone also secured 59 convictions with 51 persons arrested and prosecuted in 2019 alone. – NAN