Abuja Court Denies Rochas Okorocha Bail In N2.9bn Fraud Allegation

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has declined bail application filed by Rochas Okorocha pending the determination of a suit he filed against the Federal Government.

Justice Inyang Ekwo on Friday declined to compel the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release him on bail.

Senator Okorocha (Imo West, APC) had filed an ex parte application in which he predicated his bail request on the grounds that he is a presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress and that his political ambition would be jeopardised unless granted bail.

Justice Ekwo in a brief ruling on the ball application said he was not inclined to admit him to bail.

Instead, the judge ordered Okorocha to put the Federal Government on notice to come and defend his detention.

Okorocha has been slated for arraignment on N2.9 billion money laundering charges before the same judge twice but refused to honour the same court.

On January 24, 2022, the anti-graft agency filed a 17-count criminal charge bordering on allegation of diversion of public funds and properties to the tune of N2.9 billion against Okorocha.

The case was assigned to Honourable Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja but attempts to arraign Senator Okorocha were twice stalled owing to the absence of the ex-governor who evaded service of processes, the agency said in a statement posted on its Facebook page Tuesday evening.

It said at the last adjourned date, March 28, 2022, Justice Ekwo before adjourning until May 30, 2022, had warned that it was “the last adjournment I shall grant in this matter.”