TheCable

Rochas Okorocha, senator representing Imo west, says a high court in the state was deceived by Hope Uzodimma, the governor, to seize his property.

The feud between Okorocha and Uzodimma was rekindled on Sunday, after the senator made an attempt to unseal a property seized by the state government.

Okorocha, former governor of Imo, was arrested by the police, but later granted bail later on Sunday.

On Wednesday, Louis Alozie, attorney-general of Imo, secured an interim forfeiture order on properties allegedly acquired illegally by the former governor.

In a statement on Friday, Sam Onwuemeodo, media aide to Okorocha, described the move to seize the property through the court as “belated, an after-thought, and deceitful”.

“The Imo state government, with chief Hope Uzodinma as governor, through the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Chief C.O.C. Akaolisa, deceived one of the most thorough and highly respected Judges in the State Judiciary, Hon. Justice Fred Njemanze, to grant an Interim Order of forfeiture of the ten properties they listed and owned by Senator Rochas Okorocha’s family,” it reads.

“On Monday, February 22, 2021, a day after the Royal Palm Hotel incident, the governor, Chief Uzodinma met with President Muhammadu Buhari. After the meeting, he met with the State House Correspondents. While briefing them, he said that Okorocha distorted the Owerri Master plan with the Royal Palm Hotel.

“He also talked about the mystery white paper as the tool on which they had relied on to invade and loot Okorocha’s properties.

“The same Monday, the commissioner for lands, Chief Enyinnaya Onuegbu, also told the world while on Channels Television that the Royal Palm Hotel distorted the Owerri master plan, while the fence and gate of the Reach FM Radio were pulled down because they blocked the road.

“What is happening in Imo is a clear case of vendetta, envy, hatred and conspiracy by the state government against Okorocha and his family.”

Onwuemeodo also said the state government secured the court order to cover its “arbitrary actions”.

“With this court order after they had invaded, looted, and destroyed the properties in question, leveraging on the white paper, it only showed that they had acted wrongly, arbitrarily and unlawfully right from the outset,” he added.