Court remands Okorocha in EFCC custody

Rochas Okorocha former Imo State Governor, has been remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) pending the determination of his bail application.

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja gave the remand order on Monday.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and an ally to the ex-governor, Anyim Chinenye, is expected to join Okorocha in the EFCC custody.

Okorocha, Chinenye and five companies were arraigned on 17 counts of money laundering filed by the EFCC.

Okorocha, who currently represents Imo West senatorial district in the National Assembly, is being tried on a 17-count charge to the tune of N2.9 billion filed against him by the anti-graft agency.

Okorocha was arrested by the EFCC on Tuesday.

On Friday, the federal high court refused to admit him to a bail.

Justice Ekwo, instead, ordered Okorocha, through his lawyer, Ola Olanipekun, SAN, to put the anti-graft agency on notice.

Olanipekun had, in an ex-parte motion marked FHC/ABJ/CR/28/2022, prayed the court to grant Okorocha bail on liberal terms pending the hearing and determination of motion on notice filed on May 25.

The ex-parte motion was dated and filed May 26.

But Justice Ekwo held that since the matter would be coming up today, Monday, May 30, making an order for the release of the lawmaker on bail would be unnecessary.

Ekwo has adjourned till Tuesday for the hearing of the bail applications by Okorocha and Chinenye.