orders for the interim forfeiture of assets traced to a former Imo
governor, Rochas Okorocha, and his wife.
The Head, Enugu Zonal Office of the commission, Usman Imam, said this
Wednesday in Enugu while briefing journalists on the activities of the
commission in the last eight months.
Mr Imam said the commission also obtained similar order on a property
traced to a former aide to Mr Okorocha, Paschal Obi, and the former
governor’s daughter.
He said the commission had established prima facie cases against the
suspects which they would answer to.
Mr Imam said the commission would like to know how the Rochas Foundation
and other accomplices acquired and or converted some of the property for
personal use.
He listed some of the property to include a 16-block cum 96 flats and an
eight-bungalow multimillion naira estate, hotel, two schools, shopping
plaza, supermarket, hospital, and four vehicles.
The EFCC chief said while the hospital was traced to Mr Obi, the
remaining properties were traced to the former governor and his family,
including his wife and daughter.
“We hope to get permanent forfeiture orders on the property in order to
return them to the people of the state,” he said.
Mr Imam said all the facilities, including the schools, would remain
functional as the commission would not like to shut them down for the
sake of the students and other users.
“Other recoveries were made and are awaiting forfeiture, but for the
court vacation. They include a twin three-storey building with a
three-bedroom bungalow and a duplex, both in Enugu.
“The properties were recovered from cyber fraudsters,” he said.
Mr Imam said the commission, within the period, recovered N213.85
million and 10, 600 US dollars.
“In one of such recoveries, one Augustine Ejimokor, who defrauded his
victim of the sum of 5,000 US dollars and used it to acquire a Mercedez
Benz C300 was ordered to forfeit the vehicle.
“So far, the zone has arrested 88 suspected fraudsters since 2015, with
70 of them in 2019. This underscores the efforts of the present zonal
head in conformity with the acting chairman’s directives,” he said.
Mr Imam said the zone also obtained 59 convictions out of which were the
51 arrested and prosecuted in 2019.