A Nigerian Army officer, Captain Elugwu James Chibueze, has been accused of using soldiers to recover money from a Gwagwalada businessman, Mr Thomas Chika, over a disputed shop transaction allegedly initiated by the captain’s acclaimed brother, raising serious questions about the use of military personnel in private commercial disputes.
In a conversation with Barrister Babatunde Akintade, counsel to Mr Chika, Captain Chibueze reportedly confirmed that he sent his men to pick up the businessman. The lawyer further told Chronicles Reporters that the officer insisted Mr Chika must pay the additional cost of deploying the soldiers and warned that he would look for him on Monday if the demand was not met.
The development has intensified concerns about the alleged use of military authority to enforce a private financial claim, particularly because, according to the account provided to Chronicles Reporters, Captain Chibueze was not initially involved in the transaction and only entered the dispute approximately two weeks before the reported incident.
The original arrangement concerned a shop at Gwagwalada Market. According to information provided by Mr Chika and his counsel, the transaction was handled through the captain’s acclaimed brother, who allegedly paid ₦880,000 to Mr Chika for a shop intended for the brother’s use or benefit.
However, the captain subsequently claimed that he had sent his brother to secure the shop for his wife. This account raises questions about who entered into the original arrangement, who paid the money, who was responsible for delivering the shop and the basis on which the captain later assumed responsibility for demanding a refund.
The dispute reportedly arose because the shop was not ready for occupation, with the developer allegedly failing to complete the work. Mr Chika maintains that the delay was outside his control and that he had asked the landlord to refund the money. In WhatsApp messages reviewed by Chronicles Reporters, he explained that the landlord had promised to return the payment and asked the other party to exercise patience.
The available messages show that the dispute later escalated into threats. In one exchange, a message attributed to Captain Chibueze stated, “I will treat u like an animal.” Other messages reportedly warned Mr Chika not to allow the officer to look for him again and demanded that the money be returned within five days.
Mr Chika reportedly paid ₦200,000 after the deadline, but the partial payment did not resolve the dispute. According to his account, soldiers subsequently picked him up at Gwagwalada Market, where he alleges that he was beaten and humiliated before being taken to the 176 Battalion barracks in Tungan Maje, along the Zuba Road axis of Abuja.
He further alleges that he was subjected to additional torture and intimidation at the barracks and compelled to pay the outstanding ₦680,000 under duress.
The most troubling aspect of the case is not simply the disagreement over the shop or the refund. It is the allegation that soldiers were deployed to take a civilian into military custody over a private transaction, followed by a demand that the businessman pay an additional ₦250,000 for the cost of deploying the personnel.
Speaking with Chronicles Reporters, Barrister Akintade said Captain Chibueze acknowledged sending his men to pick up Mr Chika when confronted over the incident on a phone call. According to the lawyer, the captain explained that he was dissatisfied with the earlier payment of ₦200,000 because he claimed his brother had waited for more than seven months without receiving the shop.
Akintade further said the officer demanded ₦250,000 as the cost of sending his men to recover the outstanding money and maintained that Mr Chika had to pay. The lawyer also reported that the captain warned he would look for the businessman on Monday if the additional demand was not met.
The captain’s reported admission that he sent the soldiers is significant, but it does not, by itself, establish whether their deployment was authorised or whether their actions complied with military regulations and Nigerian law. Those questions require an official explanation and an independent investigation.
Chronicles Reporters understands that the captain was not part of the original transaction when it began, according to the account supplied by Mr Chika and his counsel. The lawyer said the officer confirmed that he became involved only about two weeks before the incident. His later assertion that he had sent his brother to obtain a shop for his wife therefore raises further questions about the relationship between the original transaction and the subsequent military intervention.
If the transaction was undertaken by the captain’s brother, the relevant questions include whether the captain had any direct contractual relationship with Mr Chika, the basis for his intervention and the legal authority, if any, under which soldiers were allegedly deployed to recover the money.
A disputed refund does not automatically justify the use of force or military personnel to compel payment. Parties to a commercial disagreement may pursue appropriate civil remedies, while allegations of assault, unlawful detention or coercion must be addressed through the competent authorities.
Sections 34 and 35 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, protect the dignity of the human person and the right to personal liberty. If the allegations of torture, coercion or unlawful detention are substantiated, the circumstances could raise serious constitutional and legal concerns.
The demand for an additional ₦250,000 also requires clarification. whether any lawful authority permits the alleged costs to be imposed on Mr Chika. The Nigerian Army should clarify whether the personnel were deployed on official duty and whether the alleged recovery operation was authorised.
Barrister Akintade has stated that legal action will be taken to protect his client’s rights. The newspaper understands that the legal team intends to challenge the circumstances surrounding the businessman’s reported pickup, the alleged treatment he received and the demand for additional payment.
Efforts to reach Captain Elugwu James Chibueze directly for his response were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report. The Nigerian Army had not issued an official statement addressing the allegations.
Chronicles Reporters calls on the appropriate military authorities to establish whether soldiers were deployed in connection with the dispute, identify the officers involved and investigate the allegations of assault, torture, compelled payment and threats. The captain should also be given an opportunity to respond formally to the claims.
The central issue requiring answers is straightforward: how did a shop transaction reportedly handled through the captain’s brother escalate into the alleged deployment of soldiers against a civilian, and on what authority was the businessman allegedly taken to a military barracks and compelled to pay?
The outcome of any investigation should establish the facts, protect the rights of the parties and ensure that military authority is not used unlawfully to settle private commercial disputes.