Fridaus Obiremi
Former Imo State Governor and Senator representing Imo West, Rochas Okorocha, has challenged those behind reports of a court-ordered arrest warrant against him to publish the purported order within 48 hours or face demands for retraction and apology.
Okorocha, who dismissed the report as false and politically motivated, insisted that no court had ordered his arrest over allegations of criminal conspiracy and forgery.
The former governor made his position known in a statement 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.”
The report, according to the statement, was initially circulated by Ambrose Nwaogwugwu, a media aide to Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, before being published by other media organisations, including Arise TV.
The disputed report alleged that a Senior Magistrate Court sitting in Abuja had issued a bench warrant dated September 9, 2026, against Okorocha, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and others over alleged criminal conspiracy and forgery.
It reportedly linked the purported warrant to a petition allegedly written by the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Imo State, Chukwuemeka Ibejiako, to the police and the Department of State Services on October 8, 2026, over the circulation of alleged fake results of the All Progressives Congress senatorial primary.
However, Okorocha’s camp denied that any such arrest warrant existed, challenging those responsible for the report to substantiate their claims.
“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 said.
The former governor’s camp demanded that anyone in possession of the purported court order make it public within 48 hours, arguing that the burden of proof rested on those who circulated the report.
“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,” Onwuemeodo said.
The statement also questioned the chronology of events cited in the report, pointing out that the alleged bench warrant was dated September 9, while the petition said to have prompted it was dated October 8, 2026.
It identified the case number in the report as CR/M/084/2026, arguing that the dates raised questions about the credibility of the claims.
“This is what you get when people decide to deceive, or to chase shadow,” the statement added.
Okorocha’s camp further maintained that the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Imo State REC had neither petitioned against nor indicted the former governor.
According to the statement, the electoral authorities had only requested an investigation by security agencies into a document in circulation which purportedly presented Okorocha as the winner of the APC primary for the Imo West Senatorial District.
The statement did not provide an independent documentary confirmation of the alleged court order or the electoral authorities’ purported request for investigation.
Okorocha’s camp also demanded that media organisations that published the arrest-warrant report retract it and apologise after the expiration of the 48-hour ultimatum.
It warned media aides to Uzodimma against what it described as insults directed at Okorocha and other political leaders, including Araraume.
The statement urged political actors supporting President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid to promote peace as political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections intensify.
