By Okechukwu Nwanguma
On July 1, 2025, I received a distress call about the unlawful arrest of a young man, Chima Nzeadibe, in Okpanku village, Adakam Amumara, Imo State.
His crime? A domestic dispute with his uncle over an economic tree in their family compound. His punishment? A violent midnight raid by armed plainclothes police officers who broke down doors and abducted him in the presence of his terrified mother, without a warrant, identification, or explanation.
This is the kind of policing Nigerians have become all too familiar with—one marked by impunity, intimidation, and commercialisation of law enforcement. In many cases like Chima’s, aggrieved individuals exploit connections to deploy tactical squads—such as the Quick Intervention Team (QIT)—to settle personal scores. These squads operate outside legal norms, bypassing local police divisions, and thrive on extortion and fear.
But this case was different because I decided to put the Complaints Response Unit (CRU) of the Imo State Police Command to the test. What followed surprised even me.
After futile efforts by Chima’s family to trace his whereabouts through the Tiger Base and the Orji Police Division, a chance encounter with a sympathetic officer led them to QIT, where Chima was indeed being held. His name, however, was not entered into the custody register—a glaring red flag. The Investigating Police Officer (IPO) was evasive and unhelpful, claiming her commander was out of state and advising the family to return the next day.
Rather than escalate the matter to the Commissioner of Police, I contacted the CRU via their hotline, outlining the nature of the case as a minor family dispute over land and trees. I urged them to intervene. To my pleasant surprise, the response was swift, professional, and effective.
The CRU immediately acknowledged the complaint, engaged the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) DSP Henry Okoye—who supervises the unit—and instructed the detainee’s brother to report to the PPRO’s office. The CRU contacted the QIT Commander and, based on the nature of the complaint, directed that the suspect be released on bail. An officer was even dispatched to accompany the family and ensure compliance.
However, as is typical in the entrenched culture of extortion, the QIT Commander attempted to delay the bail by demanding N200,000 to “facilitate” a visit to the scene of the dispute. This was an effort to exploit the situation financially. When I reported this to the PPRO, he took swift action to override the demand and enforce the release. Within hours, Chima was released unconditionally.
This successful intervention deserves commendation. It shows that where there is political will and professional leadership, the police can act with integrity and responsibility. I called the PPRO to express my appreciation.
But let us be clear: this is an exception, not the rule.
The professionalism shown by the Imo State Police CRU and DSP Henry Okoye is commendable, but it stands in sharp contrast to the prevailing realities within the Nigeria Police Force, where arbitrary arrests, extortion, incommunicado detention, and abuse of power are daily occurrences.
Isolated successes such as this offer a glimmer of hope, but they do not reflect a systemic transformation. Rather, they underscore both the potential for reform and the urgent need for structural change. Without sustained oversight, accountability, and institutional commitment, these rare acts of professionalism will continue to be the exception in a broken system.
This experience calls for replication, not celebration alone. We must ask: Why should it take personal intervention, contacts, and pressure for the police to act lawfully? Why does professionalism surface only under scrutiny?
The answer lies in the absence of consequences for misconduct and a culture of impunity that emboldens officers to act as enforcers for private interests. Until police units are insulated from political and financial influence—and internal discipline becomes the norm—Nigerians will continue to suffer unlawful treatment at the hands of those sworn to protect them.
Yes, all hands must be on deck. Citizens must know and use complaint mechanisms like the CRU. Civil society must keep up the pressure. The police hierarchy must build on this isolated success and make it standard practice.
True reform will be when Nigerians no longer need to pull strings or call someone to secure justice. When due process becomes automatic, and professionalism is the default, not the exception, that will be the day we can truly commend the Nigeria Police Force.
