Absence of judge stalls Okorocha’s suit against Imo govt, EFCC

The absence of Justice Ahmed Mohammed of a Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, stalled the suit filed by former Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, against the state government and others.

Justice Mohammed had, on September 22, fixed Wednesday, November 17, for hearing an application challenging its jurisdiction in the suit filed by Okorocha.

In the last adjourned date, the former governor’s counsel, Oba Maduabuchi, had urged the court to fix another date to take the motion challenging its jurisdiction and moved for an adjournment on the ground that he was bereaved.

The prayer for adjournment was not opposed by counsel to defendants in the suit, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Although the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/508/20 was number 14 on Wednesday’s cause list, the case could not proceed due to the judge’s absence.

Okorocha, who currently represents Imo West Senatorial District in the Senate, in a suit filed on May 28, 2020, had urged the court to restrain the EFCC and others from probing him.

While the EFCC is the first respondent, the second to 48th respondents are the Attorney General of Imo State and members of the seven panels set up to probe previous administrations in the state.

Okorocha had also on June 29 urged the court to make an order setting aside the seizure and sealing of some of his property by the state government.

Okorocha also asked the court to restrain the defendants from investigating him or implementing the recommendations of the seven panels set up to probe him while he served as the state governor between June 2006 and May 2019 pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

NAN