Court Rejects Okorocha Bail Request

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday refused to admit former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha to bail pending the determination of a suit he filed against the Federal Government.

Justice Inyang Ekwo declined to compel the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release the detained former governor and now Senator on bail.

Okorocha had filed an ex-parte application in which he predicated his bail request on the ground that he is a Presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and that his political ambition would be jeopardized unless granted bail.

Justice Ekwo in a brief ruling on the ball application said he was not inclined to admit him to bail and instead, ordered Okorocha to put the Federal Government on notice to come and defend the detention of the Senator representing Imo West in the Senate.

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.

He was arrested on Tuesday by operatives of the EFCC and has since been in the detention facility of the anti-graft agency, which had alleged that Okorocha jumped an administrative bail and resisted being served court papers for his corruption trial.

Okorocha, a serving senator, is being tried for allegedly stealing public funds while he was Imo governor.

Related: EFCC Forcefully Whisks Okorocha Away From Abuja Residence

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

The case was assigned to Honourable Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja but attempts to arraign Senator Okorocha was twice stalled owing to the absence of the ex-governor who evaded service of processes.