Fayose, who was arrested last week after turning himself in to the anti-graft agency EFCC, was brought to the Lagos high court on Monday, they said.

"The former governor was charged with embezzling 1.2 billion naira belonging to Ekiti state, among other corruption and money laundering charges," a senior official of the court told AFP.

He said Fayose pleaded not guilty to the charges and the judge, Tijani Abubakar, ordered his remand in Ikoyi prison until a further hearing on January 10, 2008.

Fayose was impeached for corruption by Ekiti lawmakers last year and fled the country shortly after. He was governor for close to three years.

He returned home last week and on Friday reported to the EFCC, which wanted to question him over allegations of corruption. He was arrested on the spot.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said it was probing some 15 of Nigeria's 36 former state governors for corruption.

The former governor of oil rich state of Delta, James Ibori, is also facing corruption charges in the northern city of Kaduna. The court denied him bail on Monday and remanded him in prison until January 11.

Ibori, who ruled the Delta state from 1999 to 2007, has also been under investigation by the British police following the discovery of assets in the country suspected to have been acquired with stolen money.