Former House of Representatives member, Hon. Rita Odichi Orijifor, who represented the Ajeromi Ifelodun Federal Constituency from 2015 to 2019, has been arrested by the Nigerian Police over allegations of using a forged WAEC certificate during her tenure. Orijifor was taken into custody earlier today at her residence in Wonderland Estate, Abuja, after police officers waited for over five hours for her to emerge. She had reportedly locked herself in her bedroom and made calls to influential political figures in an attempt to avoid arrest. Despite these efforts, no assistance came from the figures she contacted, and after some time, Orijifor finally surrendered to the authorities.
Before her arrest, Orijifor had reportedly been evading the police by hiding in Akure, returning to Abuja only after assuming the situation had settled. Unbeknownst to her, the police had already resumed their efforts to apprehend her.
Her legal troubles began when a judge in the Federal Capital Territory dismissed her application to halt the ongoing police investigation, ruling that Orijifor failed to prove that her rights had been violated. Orijifor is currently being detained at the Force Headquarters in Abuja as investigations continue. The case has already attracted significant attention in Nigerian politics due to her previous role as a federal lawmaker.
This is a developing story, and further details are expected to emerge as the investigation unfolds.
