Former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has dismissed reports that a court ordered his arrest over alleged criminal conspiracy and forgery, challenging those behind the publication to make the purported bench warrant public within 48 hours.
Former Governor of Imo State and Senator representing Imo West, Rochas Okorocha, has denied reports claiming that a court ordered his arrest over allegations of criminal conspiracy and forgery, describing the publication as false and politically motivated.
The former governor made his position known in a press release issued by his Chief Press Secretary and Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, in response to a report titled “Court Orders Arrest of Okorocha, Araraume, Others for Criminal Conspiracy, Forgery.”
According to the statement, the report was initially circulated by Hon. Ambrose Nwaogwugwu, a media aide to Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, before being published by other media organizations, including Arise TV.
Okorocha’s camp, however, strongly disputed the report, insisting that no court had issued a bench warrant for the former governor’s arrest.
More Read
“We want to strongly state, and we stand to be contradicted, that no court, whether that of Senior Magistrate or High Court, had ordered or issued any bench warrant for the arrest of Okorocha,” the statement declared.
Okorocha Demands Publication of Alleged Court Order
Challenging the publishers and individuals behind the report, Okorocha’s media team demanded that anyone claiming to possess the purported court order should make it available to the public within 48 hours.
More Read
Onwuemeodo maintained that the burden of proof now rests on those who circulated the report to provide documentary evidence supporting their claims.
“Now that we have openly made this denial, the burden now is on those behind the trending story to unveil the court order or bench warrant. Let them make it public within 48 hours,” he said.
The statement also called on media organizations that published the report to retract it and tender an apology if they are unable to substantiate the claims after the expiration of the ultimatum.
Statement Questions Timeline of Alleged Bench Warrant
Okorocha’s camp also questioned the chronology presented in the report, pointing to what it described as a major inconsistency in the dates associated with the alleged court proceedings.
According to the statement, the purported bench warrant was dated September 9, 2026, while the petition said to have triggered the proceedings was reportedly dated October 8, 2026.
The statement identified the case number as CR/M/084/2026 and argued that the dates raised questions about the account being circulated.
More Read
“This is what you get when people decide to deceive, or to chase shadow,” Onwuemeodo said.
The claims surrounding the purported warrant and its date have not been independently verified for this report.
INEC Petition Allegations Disputed
The statement further denied that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) or the Imo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Chukwuemeka Ibejiako, had petitioned against or indicted Okorocha.
According to Okorocha’s media team, the electoral authorities merely requested that security agencies investigate a document circulating in connection with the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Imo West Senatorial District.
The document reportedly portrayed Okorocha as the winner of the party’s senatorial primary, a claim that allegedly prompted concerns and requests for investigation.
The statement maintained that a request for investigation should not be misrepresented as an indictment or proof of criminal wrongdoing.
However, the circumstances surrounding the disputed document, the reported petition and the alleged court order remain matters requiring confirmation from the relevant authorities and official court records.
Political Tensions Ahead of 2027 Elections
Beyond the denial, Okorocha’s media team cautioned media aides to Governor Hope Uzodimma against what it described as insults directed at the former governor and other political leaders, including Senator Ifeanyi Araraume.
The statement urged political actors and their supporters to exercise restraint and promote peaceful political engagement as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections.
It also appealed to individuals supporting President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid to prioritize peace and avoid rhetoric that could heighten political tensions.
The development comes amid heightened political activity ahead of the next general elections, with party primaries, political alignments and disputes over candidacies likely to attract public attention.
Okorocha Urges Public to Disregard Report
Concluding the statement, Okorocha’s camp urged members of the public to disregard the report claiming that a court had ordered his arrest, insisting that no such order existed.
“We ask the general public to disregard the court order story. There was nothing like that,” the statement concluded.
As of the information contained in the statement provided for this report, no independently verified copy of the alleged bench warrant was available to establish the claim.
The matter now centres on whether those who published the report will produce the purported court document within the 48-hour period demanded by Okorocha’s media team and whether the relevant judicial or security authorities will clarify the circumstances surrounding the allegations.
