A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted an order of interim forfeiture of a property belonging to a former Governor of Imo State State, Chief Rochas Okorocha.
The property is located at Plot 1032 & 1033 Cadastral Zone AO3, Takum Close, Off Michika Street, Ahmadu Bello Way, Garki Abuja.
The EFCC is insisting that the property is reasonably suspected to be acquired with proceeds from illegality and corruption.
Justice Emeka Nweti gave the order while ruling on a motion ex-parte brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, pursuant to section 44(2) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 2006, seeking the forfeiture of the property on the grounds that it was acquired illegally.
The Commission alleged that the properties were developed with funds from the coffers of the Imo State Government in 2018 when Okorocha was Governor.
The EFCC said that two firms in which Okorocha had interest, Abtisal Global Ltd and Archivisual Solution Ltd, received N222, 000,000 from the state treasury to develop the said properties.
In his ruling, the judge ordered the anti-graft agency to publish the interim forfeiture Order in the national dailies, to alerting anyone with interest in the property to show cause why it should not be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria
Justice Nweti adjourned till April 13, 2022 for consideration of the motion for final forfeiture of the property.
