A human rights organisation, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), has raised alarm over what it describes as the unlawful detention of an elderly and ailing grandmother by the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) in Umuahia, Abia State, following the disappearance of her grandson.
According to a statement signed by RULAAC’s Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, the case involves Miss Amarachi (surname unknown), a young mother who, in February 2025, reported the disappearance of her son, Victory. The child, born from her previous relationship with Mr. Frank Godson, went missing while playing outside their residence at Igbo Hill, Aba.
RULAAC stated that after the boy went missing, Amarachi immediately informed both the police and Mr. Godson, who reportedly showed no concern or interest in the matter. Shockingly, on July 25, 2025, operatives of the SIB Umuahia allegedly arrested Amarachi’s mother, Mrs. Grace Ama, based on claims by Mr. Godson that Amarachi and her family had conspired to sell the missing child.
The rights group condemned the arrest, describing it as “baseless, malicious, and a gross abuse of police power.” It further alleged that the police action represents a worrying trend in Abia State, where mothers who report missing children are instead criminalised and accused of child trafficking.
“In one instance, the National Human Rights Commission had to intervene to release a mother who was detained for nine days. In another, a woman spent six months in prison on similar unfounded charges,” Nwanguma stated. “Such incidents discourage families from reporting missing children, creating fertile ground for child trafficking networks to flourish in Aba and beyond.”
RULAAC’s demands include the immediate and unconditional release of Mrs. Grace Ama, a credible and impartial investigation into the disappearance of Victory, and assurances that Miss Amarachi can cooperate with police inquiries without fear of arrest or intimidation.
The organisation also called on the Abia State Police Command to issue a directive prohibiting officers from criminalising mothers who report missing children, and to review similar past cases to ensure no innocent persons remain wrongfully detained.
“This injustice must be corrected, and the police must be seen as protectors of the vulnerable—not violators of human rights or enablers of impunity,” the statement concluded.
