Okorocha Yet To Meet Bail Conditions, May Miss Presidential Screening

Rochas Okorocha at the Federal High Court, Abuja. 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said that the embattled former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, is still under the custody of the agency.

The agency said the senator will be released after meeting his bail conditions as ordered by the court.

EFCC’s Public Relations Officer, Wilson Uwujaren, made this known in an interview with The PUNCH.

“Former Governor Rochas Okorocha is still under protective custody of the EFCC pending when he meets his bail conditions as ordered by the court.

“We’re not holding back to let him go, but there are procedures for bail, and he has to meet the required procedures as stated by the judge in court today,” he said.

However, one of the former governor’s legal counsel, Steve Asimobi, told our correspondent that Okorocha would be attending the ongoing screening exercise of presidential aspirants of the All Progressives Congress later today in Abuja.

Asimobi said, “His Excellency, Rochas Okorocha would be attending the APC presidential screening later today. The court has granted him bail. Of course, there were two options, either to remand him in Kuje prison or the EFCC custody pending when we meet the bail condition. Hence the judge asked the EFCC to keep him in protective custody, and that is a usual administrative procedure. The judge also ordered the EFCC to return his international passport to the court today with immediate effect.

“As I speak to you, the sureties required are currently in court with all the requirements, and they’re processing it. So, once we’re done with these, the judge would order the EFCC to release him. He’s only under the protective custody of the EFCC based on the directive of the court.”