The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

Okorocha, a presidential aspirant in the ruling All Progressives Congress, was arraigned Monday morning on a 17-count charge of fraud to the tune of N2.9 billion.

Okorocha, who currently represents Imo West senatorial district in the National Assembly, is accused of conspiring with others, including a member of the APC and five companies to steal from public coffers, although he has since denied any wrongdoing.

The former governor’s scheduled arraignment comes three days after he lost the bid to be admitted to bail, pending the determination of a suit he had instituted against the Federal Government.

He had predicated his bail request on the ground that he was a presidential aspirant, stressing that his political ambition would be jeopardised unless he was granted bail.

But Justice Ekwo, in a brief ruling on Okorocha’s bail application on Friday, said he was not inclined to admit the applicant to bail.

Rather, the judge ordered Okorocha to put the Federal Government on notice to come and defend his detention.

Okorocha has been in EFCC custody since Tuesday last week following a mild drama that played out when a team of operatives stormed his residence in the Maitama area of Abuja to arrest him.

The team, who insisted that Okorocha must submit himself for arrest or honour a long-standing invitation to their office, later barricaded the residence of the presidential aspirant.

Following a series of drama at the scene, gunshots were heard as the anti-graft agency’s team broke into Okorocha’s house and left with the presidential aspirant to their office.