Sabinus Okere Arrested By Police Over Alleged Fraud, Granted Bail   

A younger brother to the famous and revered Monsignor Theophilus Okere (of the blessed memory), Mr. Sabinus Okere, was recently arrested by the officers of the Anti-Fraud Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Imo State Police Command on allegation of embezzling huge sums of money meant for Farm projects in honour of his late brother, Monsignor Theophilus Okere.  

The arrest of Mr. Sabinus Okere was following a petition by the American Funder and Benefactor of the Msgr. Theophilus Okere Memorial Farms Ltd to the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (FCIID), Abuja. Okere had since been granted bail by the police.

The petition, as referred to the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command for necessary actions urges the police to investigate Sabinus Okere over allegations of defrauding the American sole Funder and Benefactor of the Farm, Mr. Joseph Francis Funaro to the tune of over 75,000 US Dollars and N76 million respectively in connection with the Farm project in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State.

The petitioner through his Abuja-based lawyer, Armstrong Ukwuoma, alleged that the transactions emanated from an arrangement the American philanthropist had with the renowned Catholic priest, the late Monsignor Theophilus Okere by honouring the priest and establishing a farm project known as “Monsignor Theophilus Okere Memorial Farms Ltd” with a view to enhancing food production in Ngor Okpala area being the home town of the late priest and to sustain his humanitarian legacies.

Okere, being one of the brothers of the late priest was entrusted the Power of Attorney for the management of the farm project by the American funder, Funaro after the demise of his bosom friend, Monsignor Theophilus Okere.

Between November 2020 when Okere was given the mandate to manage the farm project and September 2022, he allegedly defrauded the American benefactor of the Farms, the sums of 75,000 US Dollars and N76 million respectively from the total remittances of 361,440 thousand US Dollars sent by Funaro in respect of the management of the farm project.

The petitioner also alleged that out of the sum of 361,440 thousand US Dollars sent to Sabinus Okere, he could only acknowledged the sum of 286 thousand US Dollars as well as inflating the costs of various projects he executed on the farm to the tune of over N76 million.

Ukwuoma further stated that his client believed that there were other mismanagement of resources of the farm project which if proper investigation by the police is carried out, would further reveal other financial anomalies.

He, therefore, appealed to the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of FCIID to direct the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command to take necessary actions to thoroughly investigate  Okere over the alleged fraud.

Okere has been granted bail by the police while investigation is still on-going.

Efforts to speak with Okere were futile as he could not pick all his calls even when the phone calls rang without being picked. Okere did not return the calls for confirmation.