Former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has denied being arrested by the police, insisting that he was neither detained nor released on bail.
The Okorocha denies arrest statement contradicts the account of the Nigeria Police Force, which said he was arrested on Monday night at REIZ Continental Hotel in Abuja and released on bail after an hour of interrogation.
THE POLICE ACCOUNT
Force Spokesperson Aniete Iniedu told Channels Television that Okorocha was arrested at REIZ Continental Hotel in Abuja on Monday night and released on bail after an hour of interrogation.
The police said the arrest followed allegations of criminal conspiracy, forgery and impersonation. Iniedu further stated that the force had sent the former governor about three invitations which he ignored, necessitating his arrest.
“We released him on personal recognition. He is supposed to report to Force Headquarters later today. But up till now, we have not sighted him at the headquarters,” Iniedu said on Tuesday afternoon.
OKOROCHA’S DENIAL
In a statement signed by Sam Onwuemeodo, his Chief Press Secretary and Special Adviser on Media, on Tuesday, Okorocha accused the Imo State Government of orchestrating what he described as a witch-hunt.
In the statement, titled “We’ve Been Vindicated. Falsehood Has Never Prevailed Over Truth. Truth Is Sacred,” the former governor maintained that there was no valid court order authorising his arrest.
“Again, their latest story that Owelle Okorocha was arrested and released after one hour is also not true. And we equally stand to be contradicted,” the statement reads.
“They tell the lies. We tell the truth. The whole truth. And nothing but the truth. They market falsehood. We market facts. The truth. Okorocha was never arrested. There was no bail. There was no statement. And let them prove us wrong”.
THE COURT ORDER DISPUTE
Okorocha insisted that the court order dated September 9, 2026, had been vacated by the same court on September 14.
“The court order they had used to deceive the general public was dated September 9, 2026. The same court order was vacated by the same court on September 14, 2026,” he said.
“You then ask, a court order issued on September 9, 2026, and vacated on September 14, 2026, by the same court that issued it, could it be alive in October 2026? The answer is expectedly, no”.
THE BACKGROUND
The controversy stems from a disputed All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary for Imo West Senatorial District .The APC held its primary on May 18, 2026.
Governor Hope Uzodimma won and was recognised by INEC.
However, a different document emerged showing Okorocha as the winner with 150,780 votes, despite initial results showing Uzodimma scored 230,464 votes while Okorocha received 1,098 votes.
INEC described the circulating document as “fictitious” and petitioned the DSS and police to investigate.
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The conflicting accounts present a credibility problem. Either Okorocha was arrested and released on bail, or he was not. The police say one thing; the former governor says another.
The case also highlights the political tensions in Imo State, where Okorocha and his successor, Governor Hope Uzodimma, have been locked in a long-running battle for control of the APC structure. ValidViewNetwork reports that the police have insisted Okorocha was arrested. The former governor has denied it.