Woman Seeks Jailing of Nigeria’s Police Chief Over Alleged Contempt of Court.
By Bala Salihu Dawakin Kudu
Democracy Newsline
January 14, 2026.
A Nigerian woman, Mrs. Nnenna Anozie, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, asking it to commit the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to prison over what she describes as a blatant and persistent disobedience of court orders linked to the disappearance of her husband.
Mrs. Anozie is the wife of John Anozie, who was allegedly abducted in June 2017 by operatives of the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). Nearly nine years after his disappearance, she says neither justice nor closure has been offered to her family.
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In an application filed on December 11, 2025, Mrs. Anozie accused the IGP of contempt of court, alleging that he deliberately ignored a ruling delivered in September 2025, which ordered the police authorities to disclose the identities of officers involved in her husband’s abduction and to comply fully with previous judicial directives.
Court Orders Ignored
On September 24, 2025, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, delivered a landmark judgment in a suit brought under the Freedom of Information Act by Mrs. Anozie.
The court ordered the Nigeria Police Force to:
Release the findings of investigations into the officers involved in the abduction of John Anozie;
Publicly identify those officers; and
Pay Mrs. Anozie ₦2 million in compensation for the violation of her rights.
The court further directed that these orders be complied with within seven days.
However, according to Mrs. Anozie, the police authorities completely ignored the judgment, prompting her to return to court to seek the committal of the IGP, who is the principal defendant in the matter.
A Disappearance That Still Haunts
Mrs. Anozie alleged that in June 2017, operatives of SARS based in Awkuzu, Anambra State, tracked her husband to Lekki, Lagos State, where they forcibly abducted him. Since then, John Anozie has neither been seen nor formally charged before any court of law.
The officers allegedly involved include Anthony Obiozor Ikechukwu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police; Uzochukwu Emeana, a sergeant; John Eze; Oriole, also known as T-Boy; and Sunday Okpe, a Superintendent of Police.
During earlier court proceedings, police representatives told the court that Mr. Anozie died while in custody. Yet, they failed to comply with subsequent court orders directing them to produce his body or provide a credible account of the circumstances surrounding his alleged death.
Years of Petitions, No Justice
Beyond the courts, Mrs. Anozie said she petitioned the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which in turn wrote to relevant authorities and the #EndSARS Judicial Panel in Abuja. Despite these efforts, she lamented that no security officer has been arrested, prosecuted, or disciplined over her husband’s disappearance.
A report by PREMIUM TIMES previously documented the long history of police non-compliance with court orders in the Anozie case, highlighting it as a symbol of systemic impunity within law enforcement.
Following the police’s failure to obey the September judgment, Mrs. Anozie’s lawyer, Vincent Adodo, initiated contempt proceedings in October 2025. He filed the mandatory Form 48, warning the IGP to comply with the court’s order within 48 hours or face contempt charges.
When the warning was ignored, the legal team proceeded to file Form 49, summoning the IGP to show cause why he should not be committed to prison for disobeying the court.
According to Mrs. Anozie, the IGP also failed to respond to this directive.
As a last resort, she is now urging the court to order that the Inspector-General of Police be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja until he purges himself of contempt by fully obeying the court’s orders.
Next Court Date
The Federal High Court has fixed February 9 for the continuation of proceedings.
For Mrs. Anozie, the case is no longer just about compensation or documents—it is about accountability, justice, and the right of every Nigerian citizen to be protected, not victimized, by those sworn to uphold the law.
(DEMOCRACY NEWSLINE NEWSPAPER, JANUARY 14TH 2026)
