Okorocha Denies Arrest as Police Insist Former Imo Governor Was Detained and Released on Bail

Former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has denied reports of his arrest in Abuja, challenging the Imo State Government to produce a valid court order allegedly linked to the action, despite the police maintaining that he was arrested and released on bail.

Okorocha’s Chief Press Secretary and Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, described the reports as false, insisting that the former governor was neither arrested nor granted bail. His statement directly contradicted the Nigeria Police Force’s account of an incident at the REIZ Continental Hotel in Abuja on Monday night.

The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, confirmed that Okorocha was arrested over allegations of criminal conspiracy, forgery and impersonation. According to the police, he was released on bail after about an hour of interrogation but was directed to return to the Force Headquarters for further questioning as investigations continued.

The denial followed a public dispute between Okorocha’s camp and the Imo State Government over a court order reportedly issued against the former governor. The state government, through its Commissioner for Information, Mbadiwe Emelumba, had defended the warrant after Okorocha’s camp demanded that the authorities provide evidence of the order.

Onwuemeodo said the state government attached a court order dated September 9, 2026, to its statement but argued that the same order had been vacated by the issuing court on September 14. He questioned why an order he described as no longer valid was being cited in connection with events in October.

The former governor’s spokesperson also said the state government had clarified that the order was unrelated to petitions submitted by the Imo Resident Electoral Commissioner, Chukwuemeka Ibeziako, on October 8. Onwuemeodo demanded an apology, accusing the government of misleading the public. The claims about the order and its relevance could not be independently established from the information provided.

Police said the investigation followed Okorocha’s failure to honour earlier invitations for questioning. He was initially invited to the Force Headquarters on September 2, but the appointment was rescheduled to September 8 at the request of his lawyers. Police said he did not attend the rescheduled appointment. The full details of the allegations have not been publicly disclosed.

The controversy is unfolding amid a political and legal dispute between Okorocha and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma over the APC primary for Imo West Senatorial District ahead of the 2027 elections. INEC recognised Uzodimma as the winner, with official results showing he polled 230,464 votes against Okorocha’s 1,098. A separate document later circulated claiming Okorocha had won, but INEC described it as fictitious. The electoral commission’s resident commissioner petitioned the police and the Department of State Services to investigate the disputed document, while Okorocha filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja challenging the primary outcome and INEC’s decision. The police investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations have not established criminal liability.