A civil society group is pressing Abia State Governor Alex Otti to make public the results of an investigation into a police operation that left a family homeless, allegedly cost them their savings and possessions, and that relatives say contributed to a mother’s death.
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) says it has heard nothing from the state government since it followed up in June on a probe the governor ordered earlier this year, despite an initial show of cooperation from officials.
At the centre of the case is Sunday Chikadibia and his daughters, Glory, Ngozi and Ogechi, who the group says were arrested, detained, prosecuted and had their home in Alaukwu, in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area, torn down during a police operation in April 2025.
RULAAC petitioned Governor Otti in March, asking for accountability and compensation for the family. According to the group, the governor responded quickly and ordered an investigation, and RULAAC representatives were later interviewed as part of that process. But after a follow-up letter sent in June went unanswered, the organisation says it now fears the inquiry’s findings may be getting stuck somewhere inside the government.
“While we cannot independently verify the reasons for the prolonged delay, information available to us suggests that there may be individuals within government who have an interest in ensuring that this matter does not receive the attention and action it deserves,” the group said in a statement, adding that it wants the concerns addressed openly rather than met with silence.
The organisation’s account of the case describes officers taking cash from the family’s home without logging or receipting it, then dividing the money among themselves at the police station. Furniture, appliances and other belongings were also allegedly removed without any record, and the family says it was never told why the property was seized or given any of it back.
RULAAC says the toll went beyond the loss of the house and possessions. The family was left homeless and reliant on others to get by, the group says, and the strain contributed to a tragedy: Chioma Chikadibia, the children’s mother, died in August 2025 after her health declined sharply following her husband and daughters’ arrest and the destruction of the family home.
If the allegations hold up, RULAAC argues, they point to violations including arbitrary detention, unlawful destruction and seizure of property, collective punishment and misuse of public office.
The group is calling on the governor to release the investigation’s findings, discipline or prosecute any officials found responsible, compensate the family for their home and lost property, help resettle them, fund the disrupted education of the youngest daughter, Ogechi, and arrange medical and psychological support for survivors. RULAAC is also urging the state to tighten oversight of law enforcement to prevent similar cases.
RULAAC executive director Okechukwu Nwanguma said the governor’s early response to the petition had suggested a real commitment to resolving the matter, and he called on Otti to personally check on the status of the inquiry so that the case is not quietly shelved.
The family “have waited long enough,” the group said, adding that residents of Abia State deserve to see that serious abuse allegations are met with a transparent and timely government response.
The state government had not issued a public response to RULAAC’s latest appeal as of this report. #Securitynewsalert.com
