A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of a property owned by Rochas Okorocha, the former governor of Imo State.
The property, located at Plot 1032 & 1033 Cadastral Zone AO3, Takum Close, off Michika Street, Ahmadu Bello Way, Garki Abuja, is suspected to have been purchased with proceeds from illegal activities.
Wilson Uwujaren, spokesman for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, said in a statement on Thursday that Justice Emeka Nwite issued the order while ruling on a motion ex-parte filed by the commission under Section 44(2) of the Constitution and Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 2006.
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“The commission stated that its investigation had revealed that sometime in 2018, Abtisal Global Limited and Archivisual Solution Limited, companies in which Okorocha is believed to have interest, received N222, 000,000 from the Imo State Government’s treasury to develop and improve on the said property,” the statement read in part.
The court ordered that the interim forfeiture order be published in national dailies, notifying anyone with an interest in the property to “show cause why it should not be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
According to Uwujaren, the matter was postponed until April 13, 2022, for consideration of the motion for final forfeiture of the property.
