Alex Enumah in Abuja

Embattled former governor of Imo State, Chief Rochas Okorocha, is to spend more days with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), following the refusal of a Federal High Court to admit him to bail.

The EFCC had on Tuesday arrested the Senator representing Imo West after laying siege at his Abuja residence for several hours.

According to the anti-graft agency, Okorocha's arrest was necessitated by his refusal to attend his trial.

Okorocha had been slated for arraignment on N2.9 billion money laundering charges before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, but had twice refused to honour the court.

However, following his forceful arrest Tuesday, Okorocha had filed an ex-parte application in which he predicted his bail on the grounds that he is a Presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and that his political ambition would be jeopardised unless granted bail.

Recall that the APC had fixed its presidential primary for Sunday, May 29 and Monday, May 30.

Responding, the judge who said that he was not inclined to admit him to bail, ordered Okorocha to put the federal government on notice to come and defend the detention of Okorocha.

The Commission had, on January 31, filed a 17-count charge against Okorocha at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court.

The Senator was alleged to have conspired with others, including a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and five companies to steal N2.9 billion in public funds.

Others sued alongside the former governor are; Anyim Chinenye, Naphtali International Limited, Perfect Finish Multi Projects Limited, Consolid Projects Consulting Limited, Pramif International Limited, and Legend World Concepts Limited.