The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has petitioned the Imo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, seeking an urgent review and discontinuance of the prosecution of a trainee nurse, Ms Chukwuyere Princess Mmesoma, over allegations the group says are unsupported by credible evidence and tainted by grave abuses of police power.
In a petition submitted to the Ministry of Justice, RULAAC alleged that Mmesoma was unlawfully arrested, tortured, sexually abused, and later subjected to a retaliatory prosecution following public scrutiny of her detention.
The organisation urged the Attorney-General to exercise prosecutorial discretion to discontinue the case and facilitate her immediate release.
“This prosecution lacks a credible evidentiary foundation and is irredeemably tainted by torture, sexual abuse, and fabrication of evidence,” RULAAC said in the petition signed by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma.
According to RULAAC, Ms Mmesoma, described as a young trainee nurse and part-time worker from a modest background, was arrested on 16 July 2025 after being taken from her workplace in Orlu by police officers without a warrant. She was reportedly denied access to legal counsel and detained at the Orlu Area Command.
The group said her family has since faced “emotional distress, fear, and financial hardship” as a result of her prolonged detention and eventual remand.
RULAAC alleged that while in police custody, Ms Mmesoma was subjected to severe human rights violations intended to force statements under duress. The organisation maintained that any statements obtained in such circumstances are “constitutionally invalid and legally inadmissible.”
The petition further stated that Ms Mmesoma was accused of involvement in a robbery said to have occurred on 22 June 2025, despite what RULAAC described as a verifiable alibi and no links to the alleged suspects.
Following her transfer to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit in Owerri, RULAAC said preliminary reviews showed inconsistencies, including a voice recording allegedly attributed to her that was “conclusively not her voice,” and phone records that did not link her to the suspects.
The group alleged that purportedly incriminating contacts and messages appeared to have been created while she was already in police custody, suggesting deliberate manipulation.
RULAAC said civil society advocacy and media attention prompted the Imo State Commissioner of Police to order a further review, including an independent forensic examination of Mmesoma’s phone, with the implication that she should be released if no evidence was found.
However, the organisation alleged that instead of complying, the Investigating Officer “surreptitiously arraigned her before a court, resulting in her remand at the Owerri Correctional Centre,” describing the move as retaliatory and aimed at legitimising earlier unlawful actions.
RULAAC urged the Attorney-General to review the case file, discontinue the prosecution, and order an independent investigation into the alleged torture, abuse, evidence fabrication, and obstruction of justice by officers involved.
“The Ministry of Justice remains the last line of protection for the vulnerable and voiceless within the criminal justice system,” the petition stated, adding that a principled review would show the case “cannot stand the test of law, evidence, or conscience.”
The organisation said it remains available to provide medical reports, timelines, witness statements, and other documentation to support its claims.
