Early this week, personnel of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) stormed Imo state and successfully arrested the Imo state Commissioner for Transport, who is also Chairman and General Manager of Imo Transport Company (ITC), Mr Lasbrey Okoroafor-anyanwu, and took him to their regional office at Enugu, where he was detained for two days. Lasbrey Okoroafor-anyanwu, was later released on bail but asked to come on a later date.
An ITC source disclosed that the arrest is in connection with how the arrested Okoroafor-anyanwu, connived with the outgoing Governor, his siblings including elder sister, Geraldine and wife, to lease ITC to a private company, “Omuma Petroleum Ltd”, said to be owned by Lasbrey Okoroafor-anyanwu, which has been acting as proxy to the former but into which bank accounts, all ITC revenues were being deposited, and from which accounts all the monies rather than go into the public treasury, are allegedly shared among Okorocha, siblings and the ITC pseudo owner/General Manager.
Lasbrey Okoroafor-anyanwu is reported to have used funds from the account to sponsor APC and AA candidates loyal to Governor Rochas Okorocha.
He was once the Director General of Ugwumba Movement, set up by Uche Nwosu. There were other reports from sources that while serving as General Manager of ITC, Lasbrey Okoroafor-anyanwu, apparently presided over the racketeering of ITC loading bays with Okorocha, who turned out to convert such choice and expansive plots of lands for personal use.
“Meanwhile EFCC has extended their dragnets to catch such scandalous aides and other commissioners some of who have so far gone into hiding to escape arrest and prosecution, believing that Rochas Okorocha, will be given his Certificate of Return to the senate, to enable him intervene on their behalf. There is palpable fear everywhere with the commissioners dropping their official vehicles for unbranded cars.
Reports fielded at the Enugu zonal office of EFCC have it that most of the politicians that visit there to answer queries are from Imo state.
When contacted Lasbrey Okoroafor-anyanwu admitted visiting EFCC office at Enugu but stated that he has been released after interrogation and explanations. He added that his visit was in connection with a trumped up petition from fictitious characters, who accused him of financial recklessness and boasted that he is already on top of the matter.
Okoroafor-anyanwu, contended that ITC was leased to his company “Omuma Petroleum Ltd” long before he was found fit and proper to be appointed as commissioner. He said that the company pays N20 million to the state government monthly and that he has paid over N800 million since he took over the management of ITC, a feat he said, no other management had achieved over the eight years of Okorocha.
Speaking further, Lasbrey Okoroafor-anyanwu accused his predecessor Emma Duru of “Global Ginikana” of being behind all the petitions and myriads of travails against him.
