ABIA WIDOW BEGS AUTHORITIES TO LOCATE SON ALLEGEDLY HELD BY POLICE
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A 58-year-old widow, Justina Chibuzor, has appealed to Abia State Governor Alex Otti, the Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, and the Police Service Commission to help locate her only son, Ifeanyi Chibuzor, who was allegedly arrested by policemen attached to the Central Police Station (CPS), Umuahia.
Chibuzor, a native of Amaokwe Ugba Ibeku in Umuahia North Local Government Area, said her 22-year-old son, a cobbler and motor oil seller, was arrested on April 9, 2025. She narrated that Ifeanyi went to buy items from a local store but did not return home on time. When the family tried contacting him via phone, he did not answer.
Her daughter, Adaku Chibuzor, said policemen later arrived at their home around 10 pm, handcuffed Ifeanyi, and conducted a search. “They saw a cutlass and asked the family to come to the CPS to see Ifeanyi,” she said.
Adaku added that she was able to visit her brother in the police cell the following day, but after about five days, she was informed that he had been transferred to another detention facility. Subsequent visits to facilities in Umuahia, Aba, and Ohafia proved futile.
The family then approached an Abia State High Court in Umuahia, presided over by Justice K.C.J. Okereke, on July 22, 2025, filing suit number HU/76M/2025. The suit sought to compel the Inspector General of Police, the Police Service Commission, the Abia State Commissioner of Police, and two other respondents to produce Ifeanyi in court.
Justice Okereke granted the application, ordering the authorities to present Ifeanyi, but the directive reportedly went unheeded. Due to financial constraints, the family later sought assistance from the Legal Aid Council in Umuahia.
The family, through lawyer Chimereze Onuigbo, lamented that all efforts to resolve the matter, including direct engagements with the Divisional Police Officer and the state Commissioner of Police, failed. “After much effort, we went to court. The court awarded N200 million against the respondents when they failed to appear,” Onuigbo said.
He added, “There is no clear picture from the arrest of Ifeanyi to his disappearance. This is about human life; even bandits are made to answer in court.”
Efforts to obtain a comment from the Police Public Relations Officer, Maureen Chinaka, through calls and text messages were unsuccessful. The PPRO had promised to respond but did not do so.
The distraught mother and daughter have renewed their plea to Governor Otti, the IGP, and the Police Service Commission, urging them to intervene and help locate Ifeanyi Chibuzor.
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