Former Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has debunked reports that he was arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force at an Abuja hotel and released on bail after one hour, describing the claim as “totally untrue.”
The rebuttal followed earlier reports that Okorocha was arrested on the night of Monday, October 12, 2026, at REIZ Continental Hotel in central Abuja over allegations of criminal conspiracy, forgery and impersonation.
According to the reports, the arrest came after the former governor allegedly evaded repeated police invitations in connection with an ongoing criminal investigation, prompting the police to obtain a bench warrant.
He was said to have been initially invited to the Force Headquarters, Abuja, on September 2, 2026, with the appointment rescheduled to September 8 at the request of his lawyers — a date he reportedly failed to honour.
But in a press release issued by his Chief Press Secretary and Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, the former governor’s camp insisted that no arrest, bail, or statement ever took place.
“The story of Okorocha being arrested last night, and released on bail after one hour, is totally untrue. Okorocha was never, never arrested,” the statement read.
The aide challenged the purveyors of the report to provide evidence: “We ask; who signed for his bail? Did he make any Statement? Who took his Statement? No arrest. No bail. No statement. The claim of his being released after one hour, equally calls for questions or logics, and we press the pause button here on this issue.”
Onwuemeodo made clear that the Okorocha camp would not be drawn into a public dispute with the Nigeria Police Force.
“They are now trying to make us join issues with the Nigerian Police. We won’t do that. We respect established institutions and their personnel, including the Police. We hold them in high esteem. So, we won’t join issues with the Police,” he said.
The statement drew attention to the arrest warrant reportedly being paraded, noting that it had been set aside by the same court that issued it.
“The warrant of arrest Order by a Chief Magistrate Court, which they have been parading, was dated September 9, 2026. The same Chief Magistrate Court vacated the warrant of Arrest Order, on September 14, 2026, just five days after the arrest Order.”
Onwuemeodo asked: “If the Court Order, dated September 9, 2026, empowering the Police to effect arrest, was vacated on September 14, 2026, on what ground again would Okorocha be arrested based on an Order that had been vacated?”
According to the statement, the underlying dispute is the APC primary for Imo West Senatorial District, in which Okorocha was a contestant.
“The bone of contention is the APC Primary for Imo West Senatorial District. Okorocha was a contestant. He went to Court to claim that he won the primary. And the matter has been going on, with all the parties being parts of the proceedings. And the issues being raised now, were parts of the claims and counter-claims, by the parties in the matter. And the Court has fixed Judgement for October 29, 2026. You then ask; why all these stampede and lies?”
The media aide reminded all parties of the need to respect the judicial process.
“It is a common knowledge or analogy, that, once a matter is before a Court of Competent Jurisdiction, people, including the parties, should not again talk and act, in manners that could or would be considered subjudice, or trying to stampede or armtwist the Court.”
He challenged anyone with contrary information to make it public.
“Anybody or group, having anything contrary to any of our claims here, should make it public. All these lies and deceits are neither here, nor there.”
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