Police probe Imo monarch over alleged N76m contract fraud

Police arrest church guard over N620,115 offering theft

Police probe Imo monarch over alleged N76m contract fraud

The Imo State Police Command has begun to probe the traditional ruler of Assa autonomous community, HRH Eze Emmanuel Assor over alleged embezzlement of about N76m appropriated by Waltersmith Petroman Oil Company Ltd for community development projects.

It was gathered that the monarch has also failed to execute the contract awarded to him by Seplat, one of the oil companies operating in the community and he is currently under investigation.

According to the community, the traditional ruler stopped to execute the road contract after he reportedly wasted the first paid contract sum of about N120m for the construction of parts of the only major access road to the area.

Former Police PRO, CSP, Micheal Abattam, now commander of the Scorpion unit who is in charge of the matter has directed the monarch to make additional statements covering the weighty allegations.

Asked if the monarch’s succession to the traditional stool by a cast of lots as anti-cultural and anti-traditional, the petitioners, Mr. Moses Ogbuji and David Egbula banished the thoughts.

They alleged that the monarch’s enthronement was part of the effort of former state governor, Rochas Okorocha to favour some of his allies to help him garner grassroots support for his political ambitions.

The monarch, however, confessed he was not among the Ezeship stool contenders who played the game of luck but his late half-brother, Obinna Assor whom the petitioners said the monarch exploited through the backdoor to ascend the throne.

The monarch said while the cast of lots exercise lasted, he was away pursuing a hereditary succession plan to the throne occupied by his predecessor and late father, Eze Alexander Utiti Assor.

However, the monarch vowed to resign from the throne if found culpable of the allegations stacked against him.