Ex-Gov Okorocha Loses Over 500 Properties To Imo Govt

• As court slams final forfeiture order

A High Court sitting in Owerri, Imo State has ordered former Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha to forfeit over 500 personal properties acquired during his eight-year tenure to the State Government.

The big blow on Okorocha, who is a serving senator representing Imo West senatorial district at the 9th National Assembly, came in a case between Imo Attorney General and Mrs Nkechi Rochas Okorocha Incorporated Trustees of Rochas Foundation Senator Rochas Anayo Okorocha as Applicant and Respondents respectively filed in suit No HOW/M1191/2021.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Fred Njemanze ordered the final and absolute forfeiture of the Royal Palm Springs Hotel and other properties listed as belonging to Senator Okorocha and other members of his family.

The forfeited properties are contained on pages 226 to 272 of the Imo Government White Paper report by a Judicial Commission of Enquiry on Recovery of Lands and other related matters.

According to Justice Njemanze’s ruling, Senator Okorocha’s counsel failed to give concrete and verifiable reasons why a final and absolute forfeiture order should not be given in favour of the Imo state government.

Justice Njemanze, sitting as a vacation judge, also noted that the suit against Imo state Government by Okorocha’s counsel was not properly filed, even as he described it as “a surplusage”, a term in law that means a useless statement completely irrelevant to a matter.

The Court further maintained that as of now, the White Paper gazette by the Imo Government is a legally binding document.

However, reacting to the Court ruling, Lead counsel to the respondents, Oba Maduabuchi described the judgment as “perfidy of justice.”

He said; “I’m baffled. At the court on Friday, a text message came from the judge that he would deliver his ruling on Monday or Tuesday. So because of the sit-at-home order by IPOB, we agreed on Tuesday. I was shocked when my colleague rushed into the room and told me that they have delivered a ruling, not just a ruling but a judgment.”

”We had earlier on Tuesday argued the objections I raised on the processes filled by Imo government, the judge said he reserved his ruling. When a ruling is reserved, it means that no particular date is fixed but when it’s ready, parties are informed,” Maduabuchi said

“We are definitely going to appeal the judgment even a primary school pupil knows that the judgment can’t stand”, the counsel vowed