​Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested former Imo State Governor and former Senator representing Imo West, Rochas Okorocha, on Monday night, October 12, 2026. The former governor was taken into custody around 8:00 PM at the REIZ Continental Hotel located in central Abuja.
​The arrest follows formal allegations bordering on criminal conspiracy, forgery, and impersonation connected to a dispute surrounding party primary election results.
​The police action executed a warrant issued by a Senior Magistrate Court following a petition to security agencies.
​Security sources revealed that Okorocha was initially invited to report at the Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House, Abuja, on September 2, 2026. Following a request by his legal team, the appointment was rescheduled to September 8, 2026, a date security officials said he failed to honor.
​The investigation stems from a petition addressed to both the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
​In a letter signed by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Imo State, Chukwuemeka Ibeziako, the electoral umpire formally reported a case of a “fraudulent and fictitious All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial party primary report”.
​According to the petition, INEC stated that while official documents submitted by the party declared Governor Hope Uzodimma as the legitimate winner of the APC primary, a conflicting document circulating on public platforms falsely presented Senator Okorocha as the elected candidate.
​”In these circumstances, I urge you to graciously use your good offices to investigate and neutralise this spurious conduct that has a serious likelihood of causing the breakdown of law and order in Imo State,” stated Ibeziako in the letter to security operatives.
​Following his arrest at the hotel premises, Senator Okorocha was conveyed directly to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Abuja for interrogation.
​Police authorities confirmed that the former governor remains in custody as investigation into the alleged criminal conspiracy, forgery, and impersonation continues. Legal representatives for Okorocha have not yet issued an official statement regarding Monday night’s arrest.
