THE Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has urged the National Judicial Council to dismiss a petition written by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission against Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court.

The judge had ruled in Okorocha’s favour in a fundamental rights enforcement suit he filed against the EFCC.

However, the EFCC petitioned the NJC, accusing the judge of professional misconduct.

In opposition to the EFCC petition, Okorocha wrote to the NJC, praying that the petition against Justice Taiwo be dismissed.

He said, “Contrary to the impression being created by the EFCC through its chairman, the order granted by Honourable Justice Taiwo was made pursuant to two fundamental human rights suits that I filed before the court.”

The governor contended that the move against him by the EFCC “smacks of political vendetta and persecution.”

Okorocha said he filed the fundamental rights suits after EFCC operatives ransacked his house in Jos, Plateau State, in May 2017 with the hope of finding something incriminating against him but they found nothing.

He added that EFCC had also arrested almost all his principal staff “and in every case insisting that they must make statements to indict me. When they refused, they were kept in custody for two days.” – Punch

– 27 May, 2019 @ 8:43 GMT |