The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has urged Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to call his Special Adviser on Community Security, Mr Ken Emeakayi, to order over allegations that he interfered with the bail process involving Jude Nwoye Anokwu and others detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Awka.
RULAAC, in a statement issued on October 23, 2026, by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said the men remained in custody despite reports that police authorities had directed their release on bail on October 21.
According to the organisation, credible sources alleged that police authorities had instructed the investigating officer to grant the men bail and arrange a meeting between the parties involved in the dispute.
However, the men were allegedly not released, following an intervention attributed to Emeakayi.
RULAAC said its sources alleged that the investigating officer contacted the governor’s aide while the bail process was underway, prompting him to send a text message challenging the police leadership’s decision.
The organisation further alleged that police personnel subsequently took the detainees to Lion Building, where they were reportedly refused admission, before returning them to the State CID at about 1 a.m. on October 22.
It also said it received reports that the men were kept handcuffed inside a bus during the movements, adding that the circumstances and duration of the alleged treatment required investigation.
Although Emeakayi had denied ordering the men’s rearrest or return to custody, RULAAC maintained that the conflicting accounts required a documented response and independent examination.
The organisation called for the alleged text message, bail records, custody registers and movement records to be examined to establish what transpired.
“The central questions are precise: Were the men granted bail? Were the conditions met? Who prevented their release, and on what grounds?” RULAAC asked.
It stressed that the Anambra State Commissioner of Police must account for the decision to keep the men in custody, adding that alleged pressure from a government official would not absolve the police of responsibility for their detention decisions.
RULAAC urged Governor Soludo to require Emeakayi to explain his alleged involvement and direct him to refrain from interfering with the police bail process.
It also called on the governor to obtain an immediate report from the Commissioner of Police detailing the bail decision, any outstanding conditions and the legal grounds for the continued detention.
“If the conditions have been met, the men should be released without further obstruction,” the organisation said.
The group further urged the governor to request an urgent review of the detention and the underlying allegations by the state Attorney-General.
It called for the detainees to be granted access to their lawyers and families, as well as medical care where necessary, while urging authorities to preserve all relevant communications and custody records.
RULAAC also demanded an independent investigation into the alleged interference, the reported treatment of the detainees overnight and the separately reported shooting and death of one Mr. Chibuzo Nkam.
The organisation said the underlying land dispute in Achalla, as well as any allegations of violence, must be investigated impartially.
It warned that detention should not be used to pressure parties or witnesses, adding that the release of detainees must not be made conditional on accepting a settlement or changing their testimony.
RULAAC maintained that the rule of law required public officials to respect due process and refrain from using their positions to influence detention decisions in private disputes.
“Governor Soludo must ensure that no member of his administration uses public office to influence detention in a private dispute,” the statement said.
It added that any misconduct established through an independent investigation should attract appropriate accountability.
