A former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has said he was not invited for questioning by the anti-corruption agency, EFCC, before its officials besieged his Abuja residence. He also said the siege was to prevent him from attending the screening of APC presidential aspirants scheduled to hold Tuesday.
Mr Okorocha stated this while addressing reporters inside the besieged residence in Maitama, Abuja on Tuesday.
PREMIUM TIMES was not at the press briefing but a reporter who was present shared the audio of the interview with this reporter.
”I am not an unknown person in the country. I have an address and people know me in the country. All that it takes for the EFCC is to send me an invitation and I will gladly oblige,” Mr Okorocha said.
The ex-governor spoke in response to Tuesday’s invasion of his residence located at 3 Nyasa Close, off Ontario Crescent, off Mississippi Street, Maitama, Abuja.
PREMIUM TIMES had reported how security operatives besieged the Abuja home of the former governor.
This medium gathered that the operatives arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
Although most of the operatives seen at the residence were dressed in unmarked clothes and arrived in unbranded vehicles, a source at the EFCC confirmed that they were officials of the commission and were there to arrest Mr Okorocha.
The former governor is being investigated by the anti-graft corruption for allegedly stealing state funds while in office.
An aide to Mr Okorocha, Sam Onwuemeodo, had confirmed the situation to PREMIUM TIMES.
He claimed that the EFCC’s action was politically motivated.
“Why today they (EFCC) are coming to prevent his excellence from coming out from his house,” Mr Onwuemeodo said in a phone interview with our reporter
The EFCC spokesperson could not be reached at the time of this report but a source at the commission said the agency would release an official statement on the matter later today.
Mr Okorocha, who had been questioned by the EFCC in the past, is a presidential aspirant of Nigeria’s ruling party, APC.
I am held hostage in my home
Mr Okorocha, who represents Imo West in the Senate, claimed that he is being held captive in order to prevent him from participating in Tuesday’s screening of APC presidential aspirants.
”Frankly speaking, the situation I find myself in a situation of what I call hostage. Policemen and EFCC operatives are currently in my compound and possibly whisking me away and my gate is blocked.
”All I am asking for now is to allow me to go for my screening because I am a presidential aspirant and our election comes up on Sunday. If I am not allowed to go for this screening, I might miss it,” he said.
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