TheCable

Rochas Okorocha, senator representing Imo west, says President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to look into the criminal charges preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The commission had, on Monday, filed a 17-count charge against the former Imo governor before a federal high court in Abuja.

The charge against Okorocha came hours after he formally declared his intention to run for president.

According to the EFCC, the former Imo governor allegedly conspired with others, including a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and five companies, to steal N2.9 billion public funds.

Speaking with journalists at the state house on Thursday, Okorocha said the charges by the commission are “trumped up to distract him”, adding that a competent court has delivered a judgment restraining the EFCC from prosecuting him.

Okorocha also said he visited Buhari to ask for his intervention on the anti-graft agency’s planned prosecution, and to seek the immediate release of his international passport still being held by the EFCC.

According to him, it is the responsibility of Buhari as president of Nigeria to ensure that justice is served on all citizens, including him.

“The president said he would take up the matter, especially when he saw the judgment,” he said.

“He said, he’ll take up the matter and find out what is actually happening. And I hope he will do so. And I believe he will do that.

“One of the duties of a president is to protect the law of the land. And when an issue comes to an issue of judgment the duty is incumbent on the government of the day to ensure that justice is done.

“I came to demand justice that he should prevail and as the custodian, as the leader of our nation, he should be made to know that such is going on.

“I didn’t come here to say I don’t want to be investigated by the EFCC. That’s not the issue, that there’s a judgment on the ground.

“There’s judgment and there’s an order of court that I’m asking Mr President, who appointed the EFCC to recall that there was the law that established the EFCC. And if that law is good to make somebody EFCC, that law should be obeyed, too.”

When asked if he believes his suffering was planned by his opponents, the former governor of Imo said: “I suspect so.”

“Why I say it is politically-motivated means that some people are instigating the EFCC to do this, which is wrong. All I’m asking from the EFCC is to please obey the law,” he added.

“And you cannot refuse to obey the law on one side, and then go for the law on the other side. So, if EFCC obeys the law, it will be the best thing they can do for the image of the EFCC and the image of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“But as to who particularly, the person must be such a coward who doesn’t want to expose himself. And there are people like that who wouldn’t want to expose themselves but stay under doing all kinds of things.

“My suspicion at this point is immaterial. What is more important is that the EFCC should obey a simple court judgment and court order, as the case may be.”