A Lagos-based human rights organisation has petitioned the Anambra State Governor over the alleged arrest and detention of a 68-year-old traditional chief and four of his family members by operatives believed to be attached to the Anambra State Vigilante Group (AVG), popularly known as Operation Udo ga Achi.
In a petition dated 10 June 2026 and addressed to the Governor through the Office of the Special Adviser on Homeland Security, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) raised grave concerns over the circumstances surrounding the pre-dawn operation, warning that state security institutions may have been weaponised to advance private interests in a civil land dispute.
According to RULAAC, armed men arrived at the residence of Chief John Nneli in Umudiani Village, Achalla, Awka North Local Government Area, in two Sienna vehicles between 5:00 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. on 10 June 2026. They reportedly took away Chief Nneli alongside his younger brother, Mr Charles Nneli, and his three sons — Mr Ejike Nneli, Mr Ezebilo Nneli, and Mr Bumneme Nneli.
Family members who subsequently visited several police stations in search of the five men were initially unable to locate them. Hours later, information emerged that the detainees were being held at the Lion Building in Awka, headquarters of the Anambra State Vigilante Group. Police authorities, the petition states, indicated they did not know of any lawful arrest involving the affected persons.
The petition highlights that Chief Nneli had, as recently as 13 April 2026, filed a complaint with the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, also facilitated by RULAAC, in which he raised fears that influential individuals involved in a longstanding land dispute with him might seek to use security agencies to intimidate or coerce him. That earlier petition named specific individuals and warned of the possibility of institutional abuse.
RULAAC now alleges that among those who accompanied the operatives during the operation were Mr Chukwugozie Chigbata, also known as Angola, and Mr Ezewulu Nneli, persons reportedly party to the land dispute with Chief Nneli.
In its petition, RULAAC posed a series of pointed questions to the Governor, including the legal basis for the arrests, whether the detainees are being investigated for any recognisable criminal offence, and under what authority Operation Udo ga Achi may intervene in a civil land dispute. The group also asked whether the arrested men have been granted access to their families, legal counsel, and medical care.
RULAAC is urging the Governor to order an immediate and transparent investigation into the arrests; ensure the unconditional release of the detainees if no lawful basis for detention exists; direct that the underlying land dispute be resolved through proper judicial channels; and ensure accountability for any abuse of authority that may have occurred.
“The use of security outfits to settle personal scores or gain advantage in civil disputes poses a serious threat to public confidence,” the petition warns, adding that security institutions “must never become instruments of intimidation, coercion, or dispossession.”
Copies of the petition were forwarded to the head of Operation Udo ga Achi, the Commissioner of Police, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, and the Chairman of the Anambra State Human Rights Commission. #Securitynewsalert.com
