Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have reportedly arrested former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha in Abuja over allegations of criminal conspiracy, forgery and impersonation.
According to The Sun, the former governor, who also represented Imo West Senatorial District in the National Assembly, was arrested on Monday evening, October 12, 2026, at the REIZ Continental Hotel in Abuja.
The arrest was reportedly carried out in connection with an ongoing criminal investigation involving allegations of conspiracy, forgery and impersonation.
Police authorities were said to have obtained a bench warrant for Okorocha’s arrest after he failed to honour invitations to appear at the Force Headquarters for questioning.
The former governor was initially asked to report to the police headquarters in Abuja on September 2, 2026, as part of the investigation.
However, his lawyers reportedly contacted the police and requested that the meeting be postponed until September 8.
Despite the change in date, Okorocha allegedly failed to appear before investigators, prompting the police to seek legal authorisation to arrest him.
The bench warrant subsequently allowed police operatives to take the former governor into custody rather than issue another invitation for voluntary questioning.
As of Monday night, further details about the specific incidents that led to the allegations had not been made public.
It was also unclear whether the former senator had been formally charged or when he would be brought before a court.
Okorocha served as governor of Imo State from 2011 to 2019 before representing Imo West Senatorial District in the Senate between 2019 and 2023.
The former governor has remained active in Nigerian politics and has been involved in several political disputes since leaving office.
In a separate development, Okorocha recently approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge the recognition of Governor Hope Uzodimma as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Imo West senatorial election.
He claimed to have secured 150,780 votes during the party’s May 18 primary election, compared with 102,158 votes allegedly obtained by Uzodimma.
However, the returning officer reportedly declared Uzodimma the winner with 230,464 votes, a decision Okorocha is challenging in court.
The dispute also raises questions about Uzodimma’s eligibility to contest the 2027 senatorial election while serving as governor, with his current tenure expected to end in January 2028.
