Nonsochukwu Uwa, Owerri
The former governor of Imo State and Senator representing Imo West Senatorial District, Rochas Okorocha, on Sunday, called on the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali, to intervene over the alleged auctioning of some of ‘his vehicles’ and that of his aides that were impounded by the Imo State Government last year February at Royal Spring Hotel.
Okorocha made this known to newsmen in Owerri, through his Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo.
The former governor argued that the matter was still in court, therefore, the impounded vehicles were supposed to be in the custody of the police or the court and not the Imo State government.
According to Okorocha’s statement, “On February 21, 2021, the former governor of lmo State and Senator Representing lmo West senatorial District, Senator Rochas Okorocha, with his security personnel, aides, friends and political associates, went to Royal Palm Hotel, owned by the wife, at Akachi Road, Owerri, on inspection, after the lmo State Government was reported to have sealed the hotel.
“About 20 minutes after their arrival, agents of the government arrived at the hotel, allegedly with more than two hundred thugs, armed to the teeth and with some police personnel believed to be from the government House, Owerri.
“The thugs unleashed mayhem on Okorocha and all those who were with him at the hotel and at the time of the incident. Okorocha’s inlaw, Dr Okey Anwuka, was shot in the leg. Some had machete cuts and so on. Okorocha’s vehicles were vandalised. Ditto, the vehicles of all those who had accompanied him to the hotel.
“The expectation was that the Police who carried out the operation, must have taken into custody, all the vehicles recovered at the scene of the attack or incident, including buses belonging to Rochas Foundation College, and taken them to the Police Headquarters and not to the Government House.
“Or, the Cars would have been taken to the court, where some of the owners of the cars recovered at the hotel have been standing trial, especially when the vehicles may be tendered as exhibits in the course of the trial.
“Unfortunately, the vehicles were taken to the Government House and not to either the police headquarters or the court where some of the owners of the vehicles have been standing trial.”
He continued: “The government has gone ahead to auction the private cars of the former governor of the state, those are security personnel, those of his aides, political associates, those of Rochas Foundation College and so on, who were with him on the day the attack at Royal Palm Hotel took place. And doing that, they had thrown caution to the wind. And you ask, on what ground was the vehicles auctioned?
“Involved in this disgraceful act is one Chima Linus Eleazu, who claimed to be the lmo State Government Licensed Auctioneer. He is involved in this absurdity. One Alhaji Abba, for instance, bought four of the vehicles and had paid N5 million. And was issued Receipt No. 0141, dated 23-6-22. He paid through UBA.”
