The family of a 48-year-old transformer technician, Mr. Anaele Bright Chigozie, has raised an alarm over his continued detention without trial by officers of the Awkuzu Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Anambra State. Chigozie has been held for 68 days, allegedly over his refusal to pay a ₦40,000 bribe to police officers.
Chigozie was arrested on May 10 by officers at the Oraifite Police Division in Ekwusigo Local Government Area. According to his family, his ordeal began when a driver transporting transformer oil on his behalf was stopped by police, who demanded a bribe. Despite presenting authentic documents confirming the legitimacy of the oil, the officers reportedly claimed that all transformer oil in the Southeast region belonged to Chief Emeka Offor, Chairman of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC). The officers allegedly threatened to imprison Chigozie for declining to pay the bribe.
Concerns over his prolonged detention have sparked public outcry and renewed criticism of police impunity and corruption in Nigeria. His family insists the case is a clear attempt at extortion and a violation of his rights.
Chronicles Reporters earlier gathered that Chigozie was accused of transformer vandalism—a charge his relatives dismiss as fabricated and politically motivated. The police are said to have used the name of Chief Emeka Offor to intimidate and silence the technician and his family.
Sources close to the matter revealed that the situation escalated after police operatives intercepted a driver with what they called “condemned transformer oil.” The driver, reportedly offered ₦5,000 instead of the demanded ₦40,000, was detained. He then called Chigozie, the rightful owner of the oil, to explain the situation.
According to a family member, when Chigozie arrived at the station, Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Ifeanyi Umeh questioned him about the oil and insisted it belonged to Chief Offor. Chigozie explained that the oil came from a transformer he had serviced that had not yet been powered and provided receipts from Lagos for new oil he purchased. This allegedly angered the DPO, who accused him of “challenging the authority of the police.”
“The DPO warned my brother he would deal with him for speaking out,” the relative told Chronicles Reporters.
Subsequently, the case was transferred to the Awkuzu RRS, known for its controversial operations. Chigozie was then re-arrested and rebranded as a suspect in a transformer vandalism case.
“He has never had any criminal case in over 19 years of working in the power sector,” a source said. “He owns a registered company and is known for his professional integrity.”
Even though the Anambra State Commissioner of Police reportedly ordered the RRS to probe the allegations, the family claims the investigation has stalled. “Despite being cleared during the investigation, they’ve refused to charge him or let him go. The RRS commander said he can’t release him without orders from above,” a family source lamented.
There are suspicions that the case is being deliberately delayed due to fear among police officers of offending influential individuals linked to EEDC.
“Emeka Offor is a major stakeholder in EEDC, where my brother is also an accredited contractor. The DPO became aggressive after my brother said that Offor doesn’t manufacture transformer oil,” the family member said.
They added that even EEDC has confirmed there’s no issue with Chigozie and that the company actually owes him payment for previous jobs.
“Yet, they’re holding him without bail or trial. We don’t even think Offor knows what’s happening,” the source added.
The family claims that repeated efforts to secure bail have failed, despite providing reliable sureties. They said the detention has devastated Chigozie’s family—his children have reportedly stopped schooling due to the crisis.
“They locked him up with criminals for a crime he didn’t commit. He’s innocent, but they won’t let him go,” a family member said emotionally.
On June 9, 2025, the traditional ruler of Ihitte Mbieri Autonomous Community, HRH Eze V.U. Achilike (Ihieri II), wrote a formal appeal urging the police to release Chigozie. In a letter titled “To Whom It May Concern,” the monarch vouched for Chigozie’s professionalism, stating that he routinely services transformers in the community.
“The oil in question was simply leftover condemned oil used during maintenance,” Eze Achilike wrote, while commending the police for their efforts and urging them to act justly by releasing Chigozie.
Similarly, the Umuodu Electricity Committee in Ihitte Mbieri has expressed full support for the embattled engineer. In a separate letter dated the same day and signed by prominent leaders from various community unions, the committee confirmed that Chigozie was recently responsible for the repair of a new 500kVA transformer that had insulation issues. The job required draining and replacing contaminated oil.
“Out of goodwill, he even reduced the repair cost from ₦1.3 million to ₦1.15 million,” the committee noted.
The letter bore the signatures of Onwuzuruike Celestine (Chairman, Umuodu Electricity Committee), Akuchie Ejike (President, Umuodu Progressive Union), and Kennedy Echefu (President, Obiakabo Patriotic Union). They appealed to authorities to intervene and secure his release so he could resume his vital role in the community.
When contacted, Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, dismissed the family’s claims, stating that their account could not be independently verified by Chronicles Reporters. He instead extended an invitation to journalists to visit the RRS facility and speak with Chigozie directly.
“You can send a representative to my office, and we’ll go together to interview him,” Ikenga offered.
For more updates and breaking news, join our WhatsApp channel:
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VabITrvEAKW7DSkTfP0J