Former Imo State Governor and Senator Rochas Okorocha has denied reports claiming that a magistrate court issued a bench warrant for his arrest over alleged forgery, describing the reports as false.
Okorocha, through a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary and Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, challenged those behind the report to make the alleged court order public within 48 hours.
The former governor also questioned the timeline surrounding the reported warrant, arguing that the investigation and legal processes could not reasonably have been completed within a day.
According to the report he disputed, the bench warrant was allegedly issued on October 9, 2026, following a petition dated October 8, 2026.
Okorocha said the timeline raised questions about the credibility of the claim and urged members of the public to disregard the report.
He also stressed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) needed peace at the moment.
Okorocha Demands Evidence of Alleged Court Order
In the statement, Okorocha maintained that no court had issued a bench warrant for his arrest, challenging those circulating the report to produce the document.
“Against the backdrop of all these, we want to strongly state, and we stand to be contradicted, that no court, whether that of the Senior Magistrate or the High Court, had ordered or issued any bench warrant for the arrest of Okorocha,” the statement said.
The former governor’s camp argued that those reporting the alleged arrest order should have published the court document and identified the magistrate who purportedly issued it.
It therefore gave those responsible for the report 48 hours to make the alleged warrant public.
“Now that we have openly made this denial, the burden now is on those behind the trending story of the court order for the arrest of Okorocha to unveil the court order or bench warrant. Let them make it public,” the statement added.
Former Governor Questions Dates in the Report
Okorocha’s camp also highlighted what it described as inconsistencies in the dates associated with the alleged warrant and the petition that reportedly prompted it.
According to the statement, the report initially claimed that the bench warrant was issued on September 9, 2026, even though the petitions attributed to the Imo State Resident Electoral Commission (LMO REC) were dated October 8, 2026.
The statement also referenced case number CR/M/084/2026, arguing that the reported court order appeared to predate both the petitions and the filing of the case.
“In other words, the Court Order came before the Petitions and before the filing of the Case. This is what you get when people decide to deceive or to chase shadows,” the statement said.
Okorocha’s camp cited the discrepancies as further grounds for questioning the report’s authenticity.
Okorocha Denies Petition by INEC Official
The former governor also denied that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), or the Imo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Ibejiako, had petitioned against him or requested an investigation into his activities.
According to the statement, neither INEC nor the electoral commissioner accused Okorocha of wrongdoing in a petition.
Instead, the statement said the petition asked the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate a document circulating publicly that allegedly portrayed Okorocha as the winner of the APC primary for the Imo West Senatorial District.
The petition was reportedly dated Thursday, October 8, 2026.
Okorocha’s camp questioned whether the police and DSS could have completed their investigations by Friday, October 9, when reports of the alleged arrest order began circulating.
“Assuming it was submitted the same day, was it possible for both the DSS and police to have concluded their investigations on Friday, October 9, 2026, when the story of the court order for arrest began to trend? The answer is ‘No’,” the statement said.
The former governor maintained that the circumstances surrounding the report warranted clarification and reiterated his demand for those responsible to publish the alleged court order.
Source: Statement issued by Rochas Okorocha’s media office
