The Imo State Government has released court documents and police correspondence to substantiate its claim that a bench warrant was issued for the arrest of former Governor Rochas Okorocha following his alleged failure to honour a police invitation.
The documents, published in two newspapers on Tuesday, included the bench warrant, a police invitation letter and a response from the former governor’s lawyers.
Imo State Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, said the documents contradicted claims by Okorocha’s aide, Sam Onwuemeodo, that the police had not invited the former governor for questioning.
Onwuemeodo had reportedly given media organisations that published the court order 48 hours to produce evidence of the warrant or apologise.
Emelumba said the state government released the documents to clarify the circumstances surrounding the warrant and counter suggestions that it was responsible for the former governor’s difficulties.
He explained that the police investigation into an alleged criminal conspiracy and forgery predated a separate petition submitted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to the commissioner, the two matters were linked in media reports because they concerned similar allegations, not because the bench warrant originated from the INEC petition.
He said a police letter dated August 21, signed by Deputy Commissioner of Police Aliyu Abubakar, directed Okorocha to appear at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on September 2 in connection with the investigation.
However, following a request from his lawyers, D. Azipu Aka Chambers, the invitation was reportedly rescheduled to September 8.
Emelumba alleged that Okorocha failed to honour the rescheduled invitation, prompting the police to seek a bench warrant for his arrest and that of other persons involved in the investigation.
The commissioner maintained that the warrant was obtained over the former governor’s alleged failure to make himself available to the police, rather than as a consequence of the INEC petition submitted on September 9.
He urged Okorocha to present himself to the police and respond to the allegations against him.
The former governor’s position on the documents and the allegations was not included in the statement released by the state government.
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