By TheDailyNewsHub Reporter
Former Imo State Governor and ex-senator Rochas Okorocha has reportedly been released on bail after spending about an hour in police interrogation over allegations of criminal conspiracy, forgery and impersonation.
Okorocha was reportedly arrested on Monday night, October 12, 2026, at the REIZ Continental Hotel in Abuja. Reports published on Tuesday said he was released after questioning and asked to return to the Nigeria Police Force headquarters for further interrogation as investigations continue.
The Imo State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Aniete Iniedu, was reported to have confirmed the arrest and subsequent release to Channels Television. However, a separate statement from the Nigeria Police Force headquarters detailing the circumstances of the arrest and the conditions of the bail was not immediately available.
The development comes amid a dispute over alleged irregularities involving documents relating to the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary for Imo West District ahead of the 2027 general election.
The allegations against Okorocha reportedly include criminal conspiracy, forgery and impersonation. Investigators are looking into a disputed document circulating as an APC primary result, which purportedly named the former governor as the party’s candidate for the Imo West senatorial seat.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), through its Imo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Chukwuemeka Ibejiako, had petitioned the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) over the disputed document. The commission said the document differed from the result submitted to it by the APC, which identified Governor Hope Uzodimma as the winner of the party’s primary.
INEC asked the security agencies to investigate the circumstances surrounding the circulation of the disputed result and take appropriate action. The allegations remain subject to investigation and have not been established by a court.
The reported arrest also followed controversy over claims that a magistrate’s court in Abuja had issued a bench warrant against Okorocha and other individuals in connection with alleged criminal conspiracy, forgery and the use of false documents.
Before the reported arrest, Okorocha’s media aide, Sam Onwuemeodo, had issued a statement denying that any court ordered the former governor’s arrest. The statement challenged those making the claim to produce the alleged warrant and questioned the chronology of the reported court order and the INEC petition.
Okorocha’s camp described the reports as false and politically motivated. Its denial concerned the reported arrest warrant; it did not independently establish whether police subsequently arrested or questioned him.
The other individuals reportedly named in the disputed-document investigation include former senator Ifeanyi Araraume, Timothy Ama Chuks and Amen Okorocha. The precise status of any proceedings involving the other individuals was not immediately clear.
Okorocha served as governor of Imo State from 2011 to 2019 and later represented Imo West in the Senate. The dispute comes as political parties prepare for the 2027 elections and the APC’s candidate-selection process attracts renewed scrutiny.
The police investigation is expected to clarify the origin and circulation of the disputed primary result and determine whether there is sufficient evidence to support any criminal charges. Until the relevant allegations are tested through due process, the accused persons must be presumed innocent.