– Rochas Okorocha declares that the police and the EFCC breached his fundamental rights by invading his Jos, Plateau state home
– Governor Okorocha wants the court to order the two bodies to pay the sum of N1.025 billion as general damages for the invasion
– He also wants the court to issue a perpetual injunction stopping further invasion and search of his home by the agencies
The governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha, has reportedly sued the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, over an alleged breach of his fundamental human rights following an ‘invasion and ransacking’ of his house in Jos, the Plateau state.
The New Telegraph reports that Okorocha filed the suit before Justice Musa Kurya of the Jos Federal High Court and is demanding N1.025 billion as general damages from the two bodies.
The report said the governor joined the commissioner of police in Plateau state as well as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the suit.
Also joined is the Atorney General of the Federation (AGF) and minister of justice.
The report said through his counsel, Markus Saleh (SAN), Okorocha told the court that on May 3, the respondents invaded his home in Jos and held his family members and staff hostage in a search conducted without any court warrant.
He wants the court to declare the action illegal, null and void arguing that there was no valid court warrant for such an exercise.
The governor also wants the court to issue a perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from further doing anything like that in his homes across the country.
Apart from this, Okorocha seeks for an order declaring that only the Imo House of Assembly has the constitutional rights and power to supervise, monitor, legislate, appropriate and demand accounting of public funds of the state from him.
He, therefore, asked the court to order the respondents to pay him the N1 billion as general damages and N25 million as cost of instituting the case.
TRACK NEWS learnt that when the case was heard on Tuesday, November 6, the governor’s lawyer told the court that he had an amended statement of claim and further affidavit, which he wants to move as deemed duly filed and served on all the respondents.
“My Lord, I am surprised that the respon dents are not in court today, even though they have been duly served with the notices and amended statement of claim and further affidavit. “I wish to move it, since they are all aware of it in accordance with the rule of this court,” Saleh prayed the court.
It was learnt that the counsel to the respondents, Wale Adesola (SAN), was not in court and no reason for his absence was given.
Justice Kurya, however, allowed him to move the motion after ruling on the application.
As a result, Saleh asked for a date to enable the respondents to respond to his amended statement and for him to also reply after their responses.
The judge granted the prayers and adjourned the case to January 24, 2019, for adoption of final written addresses by all parties in the case.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported earlier that the Imo state governor, Rochas Okorocha, on Monday, November 5, condemned the APC national chairman Adams Oshiomhole’s apologyto the Roman Catholic Church in the state.
At a meeting with Archbishop of Owerri Catholic diocese, Bishop Anthony Obinna and representatives of the Christian community in Imo state, Oshiomhole had condemned what he described as the governor’s lack of respect for the church.
