ABUJA, Nigeria — Former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has reportedly been arrested by the Nigeria Police Force at a hotel in Abuja over allegations of criminal conspiracy, forgery, and impersonation.
Okorocha, a former senator who represented Imo West, was taken into custody at the REIZ Continental Hotel in the Federal Capital Territory on Monday night, October 12, 2026, according to security sources cited by 247Ureports.
The reported arrest followed several unsuccessful attempts by police investigators to question the former governor in connection with an ongoing criminal investigation.
According to the report, police obtained judicial authorisation to arrest Okorocha after he allegedly failed to honour invitations to appear at the Force Headquarters.
The Nigeria Police Force had not issued an official statement confirming the detention or explaining the allegations at the time of reporting.
Police Reportedly Obtained Arrest Warrant
Investigators initially invited Okorocha to appear for questioning on September 2, according to The Sun.
His lawyers reportedly requested that the appointment be moved to September 8.
The former governor allegedly failed to appear on the rescheduled date, prompting investigators to seek a court order compelling his attendance.
Security sources said police subsequently obtained a bench warrant and used it to carry out the arrest.
247Ureports reported that Okorocha remained in police custody awaiting questioning and possible legal proceedings.
The police have not publicly identified the officers involved in the operation or disclosed where the former governor is being held.
An authenticated copy of the warrant reportedly used to arrest him has not been independently obtained.
Okorocha Had Denied Earlier Arrest Warrant
The reported detention came days after Okorocha publicly rejected claims that an Abuja magistrate’s court had ordered his arrest alongside former Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and two other individuals.
Those earlier reports concerned allegations of criminal conspiracy and the falsification of All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election documents.
A Channels Television report stated that a Senior Magistrate’s Court in Jiwa, Abuja, had issued warrants in connection with disputed results from the APC senatorial primary for Imo West.
Okorocha disputed the account through his media adviser, Sam Onwuemeodo.
Onwuemeodo insisted that no court had authorised the former governor’s arrest.
“We ask the general public to disregard the court order story. There was nothing like that. No such incident,” he said.
He challenged those circulating the allegations to produce the purported warrant.
Okorocha’s representatives also questioned the chronology of the reported court proceedings, pointing out that the alleged warrant was dated September 9, while a petition from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) concerning the disputed primary results was dated October 8.
They argued that the discrepancy undermined the credibility of the reports.
The latest accounts of Okorocha’s detention do not independently establish whether the warrant reportedly executed by police is the same order he previously disputed.
Dispute Over Imo West APC Primary
The controversy surrounding the earlier reported warrant arose from competing claims about the APC senatorial primary in Imo West.
INEC had requested an investigation into a document circulating publicly that purported to identify Okorocha as the winner of the party’s primary.
The commission maintained that its official records identified Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma as the successful candidate.
Okorocha’s representatives rejected suggestions that INEC had specifically accused him of producing or distributing a fraudulent document.
They said the commission’s petition sought an investigation into the authenticity and origin of the disputed results.
Okorocha has also challenged aspects of the senatorial nomination process through legal proceedings.
The precise relationship between that electoral dispute and the police investigation cited in Monday’s reported arrest has not been officially established.
As of the latest reports, neither the police nor Okorocha’s representatives had publicly provided a new account of the hotel incident.
There was also no confirmation of formal charges or a date for his appearance in court.
