Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has dragged the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, and other leaders of the party to court for allegedly inciting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to detain him.
In two separate fundamental rights enforcement suits marked FHC/ABJ/CS/474/19 and FHC/ABJ/CS/475/19 and filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, Okorocha claimed that the anti-corruption agencies had been directed to arrest and keep him in detention as soon as he handed over as governor on May 29.
He said he had up to n 25 invitations from the anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies “in purported investigation of projects executed by the state government in a bid to find some materials to justify their conclusion that he is guilty of corrupt practices.”
According to him, the APC leaders had been “expanded to include a reign of terror against the applicant’s political, business associates and family members including his wife and children.”
According to him, his political and business associates, as well as family members, allegedly targeted by the said “reign of terror” are Uloma Rochas, Uju Rochas, Uchechi Rochas, Ahamefula Rochas, Amen Rochas, Amamchi Rochas, Uzoma Anwukah and Uche Nwosu.
Okorocha insisted that he did not commit any offence “to warrant the incessant threats of arrest, detention, the harassment and terror being unleashed upon him and his family.”
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The defendants whom the plaintiff is seeking an order to restrain are the Attorney General of the Federation, the Inspector-General of Police, the Department of State Services, the EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, and the Code of Conduct Bureau.
An affidavit filed in support of the suit read in part, “The applicant had supported a candidate for the position of National Chairman of the APC other than the current incumbent, Mr Adams Oshiomhole and by reason of various events that occurred at the time, including the detention of Mr Adams Oshiomhole by the EFCC on allegations of corruption, it was assumed that the applicant was a party to that incident.
“Some of the supporters of Adams Oshiomhole at the time are currently very influential in the Federal Government of Nigeria which is controlled by the APC.
“These individuals, including the said current national chairman have decided to carry out a vendetta and revenge against the applicant, including instigating the respondents against the applicant upon their spurious conclusion without evidence that the applicant is guilty of corrupt practices as the governor of Imo State.
“The respondents, proceeding from this position that the applicant is guilty unless proved innocent, between 2017 and now, have extended not less than 25 invitations to the applicant in purported investigation of projects executed by the state government in a bid to find some materials to justify their conclusion that he is guilty of corrupt practices.
“This witch-hunt is clearly politically motivated, baseless, and has been designed only to discredit and humiliate the applicant in a bid to decimate him politically.”