The Onyemuruogu family from Enugu State has called on the Police Service Commission and human rights groups to help locate their son, Chidera Onyemuruogu, who has been detained by the Nigerian Police Anti-Cult Unit in Enugu since March 2018.
According to SaharaReporters, Chidera was forcibly taken from the family home in Enugu and subjected to brutal treatment by the police team, led by an officer identified as Mr. Ekeleme. Despite being held without trial or bail for months, his family sought legal intervention.
Chidera’s father, Pa Onyemuruogu, recounted the ordeal to SaharaReporters, saying, “On March 22, 2018, the Anti-Cult Unit of the Nigeria Police stormed my house at Nwandu Estate, New Haven, Enugu. My son was severely beaten by officers under the command of Mr. Ekeleme and then taken away.”
The elderly man explained that despite efforts to secure his son’s release, they have had no success. The family hired a lawyer who filed a Fundamental Rights Enforcement Suit in the Enugu State High Court. On January 14, 2019, Justice Cyprian Ajah ruled in their favor, ordering Chidera’s release. However, more than five years later, the police have failed to comply.
The court judgement, marked as Suit No. E/523/2018, named Chidera as the Plaintiff/Applicant, and Mr. Ekeleme, the Commissioner of Police Enugu State, the Inspector General of Police, and the Police Service Commission as respondents. The ruling emphasized Chidera’s right to life and instructed the police to release him immediately. Additionally, the court awarded the sum of N1 million as compensation for the violation of his rights.
Despite the ruling, Pa Onyemuruogu lamented that the police have continued to ignore the court’s order, and his son’s whereabouts remain unknown. He added that efforts to file Committal Proceedings against the officers responsible for disobeying the court’s order have not yielded results, as Mr. Ekeleme has allegedly boasted that nothing would happen because the family lacks the financial means to pursue the case further.
The Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN), a human rights organization, has petitioned the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, demanding justice for Chidera and his family. The petition, signed by CRRAN President Olu Omotayo Esq., is titled “Appeal for Urgent Intervention: 76-Year-Old Nigerian Citizen Decries Police Refusal to Release His Son Despite Court Order.” It calls on the government and the public to intervene in the case and hold the perpetrators accountable if Chidera has been killed.
The petition emphasizes that the respect for fundamental human rights is essential in any democracy, and justice must be served in this case. It was also copied to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, urging swift action.
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