A brother to Rochas Okorocha has given a vivid detail of what occurred following the arrest of the former Governor of Imo State, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday, 24 May.
It would be recalled that the former Governor was arrested after EFCC operatives laid a siege to his Abuja residence for hours.
Okorocha, who currently represents Imo-West senatorial district, was arrested by a combined team of EFCC operatives and policemen who broke into his home through the ceiling after he had denied them entry.
The senator had declined to be taken away by the operatives, insisting that he will not submit himself to the anti-graft agency without a warrant.
Okorocha who is contesting for the Presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress said it was all a ploy to prevent him from attending the party’s screening.
Narrating what happened, Okorocha’s brother said, ”We were inside and all of a sudden we hear gunshots outside, before we could know what happened, they broke in through the door and about two or three of them descended on me. They know very well that I’m not Rochas, but even if I’m Rochas, the beating they gave to me is very uncalled for.
”They teargassed me about one hundred and one times, like all the teargas was on my face, they tore my cloth, they beat me, then they took all of us out. And again after that, we heard some noise, and about two or three guys, EFCC or the police went upstairs and started vandalizing the house.
”What baffles us more is that if you come to arrest, arrest and don’t vandalize properties. Okorocha wasn’t resisting, the only thing he asked for was an arrest warrant or court papers showing that he is under arrest, and they failed to do that. And that’s what we’ve been asking for since morning and there was none.
”They teargassed the whole house, beat up everybody, tore everybody’s clothes and whatever.”
Also in a live video which has now gone viral, Okorocha and his family members could be seen laying on the floor in fear of the operatives who were banging on the door leading to the living room.
Okorocha could be heard saying ”Please help me, come to my rescue, come and help me my Lord my God, I thank you mighty God.”
The operatives eventually broke through the ceiling, arresting Okorocha.
In the video that showed how the operatives gained access through the ceiling, an individual could be seen destroying the ceiling to create an opening for others to gain access into the Senator’s residence.
He was immediately put into a ready vehicle and whisked away while tear gas was fired to disperse supporters of the former governor.
© TheStreetJournal.org. All rights reserved.