Nigerian Senator Okorocha Seeks Buhari’s Intervention in N2.9bn Fraud Case

A former governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, has dragged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before President Muhammadu Buhari, where he has gone to seek his intervention in his battle with the agency.
EFCC had on Monday filed a 17-count charge against Okorocha and others, over an alleged N2.9 billion fraud case before a Federal High Court in Abuja, hours after he officially declared his interest in running for the office of the president in 2023.
Okorocha was however at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday, to intimate the president withhis intention to contest the presidency in 2023, while also informing the President of his travails with the EFCC, insisting that the anti-graft agency was being used to harass him.

Speaking to newsmen after his meeting with Buhari, Okorocha said there was an existing court order restraining the EFCC from prosecuting him, hence, the president should caution the anti-graft agency against holding the court in contempt
He, however, explained that he had not requested President Buhari to stop him from being investigated, but to get the anti-graft agency to obey the law and to also order release of  his international passport.
His words: “I used this opportunity to intimate Mr. President of what is going on between me and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the harassment and intimidation that I’m getting from the EFCC, literally on daily basis, and to inform him that I have court judgment and two court orders for different judgments at different forums, which stop the EFCC from harassing and intimidating me. EFCC has refused to obey the law.
“So, I have to inform Mr. President that EFCC should be made to obey the law that established it and without the law, there wouldn’t be an EFCC. Also, the desperation with which they go about any affair that concerns me, should stop.
“And I reminded Mr. President that, sometime ago, the EFCC had claimed that they recovered the sum of N5.9 billion from my account, which the court found out to be untrue. In other words, they were biased and they prejudged me. On that basis, the court ruled and ordered that they should not further interrogate and harass me. This has also not been obeyed.

“The court ordered the EFCC to release my international passport, the EFCC has refused to obey. The court gave damages to me for some N500million for EFCC to pay. EFCC has not paid that. Rather than doing that, on the day of my declaration, EFCC went on the press to announce that I’m being prosecuted for some criminal charges of N2.9billion and no more than N5.9billion.

“So, I said as the president of Federal Republic of Nigeria, and one that stands on the side of law, he should bring this to the attention of the EFCC. And despite the efforts by the Office of the Attorney General to make the EFCC see reasons and obey court judgment, to release my travel documents, and stop the harassment, they have refused.

“So, I think that is some kind of desperation on the side of EFCC. And I don’t know, who might be causing this, but it is appropriate that I do let them know of the injustice that is going on with me as regards the EFCC. One of the duties of a president is to protect the law of the land. And when an issue comes to an issue of judgment the duty is incumbent on the government of the day to ensure that justice is done.

“I came to demand for justice that you should prevail and as the custodian, as the leader of our nation, he should be made to know that such is going on. I didn’t come here to say, I don’t want to be investigated by the EFCC. That’s not the issue; that there’s judgment on the ground. There’s judgment and there’s order of court that I’m asking Mr. President, who appointed the EFCC to recall that there was the law that established the EFCC.

“And if that law is good to make somebody EFCC, that law should be obeyed, too. So, I’m not asking Mr. President, to speak on matter,” he said.

Asked what the president’s response was, Okorocha claimed, “The President said he would take up the matter, especially, when he saw the judgment. He said, we’ll take up the matter and find out what is actually happening. And I hope he will do so. And I believe he will do that.”

Deji Elumoye in Abuja