The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has called on the Inspector-General of Police to urgently intervene in the continued detention of Mr. Jude Nwoye Anokwu and others in Anambra State, following allegations of unlawful detention, a shooting and the disappearance of a gatekeeper during a police operation.
The organisation also urged the police authorities to establish the whereabouts and condition of Mr. Chibuzo Nkam, the gatekeeper allegedly shot in both legs and taken away during an operation at Anokwu’s residence in Udezu Village, Achalla, on October 17, 2026.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, October 28, RULAAC’s Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said the organisation had received an appeal from Anokwu’s wife, who alleged that her husband’s detention was connected to attempts to dispossess him of land inherited from his late father.
According to RULAAC, the woman reported repeated threats and intimidation and expressed fears for her husband’s life.
The organisation said it was also informed that Anokwu was arrested in 2025, transferred from Anambra State to Lagos and detained at the Zone 2 Police Command over similar allegations.
“According to the account received, the then Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2 ordered his release after discovering that the matter concerned a land dispute presented through false criminal allegations,” the statement said.
RULAAC said the reported history raised concerns about the possible repeated use of police powers to advance private interests in the land dispute.
It called for the records of the earlier arrest, detention and release to be obtained and examined as part of the current investigation.
The organisation also expressed concern over the fate of the missing gatekeeper, Nkam, whom Anokwu’s wife identified as being from Udi, Enugu State.
According to the woman’s account, Nkam was shot in both legs during the October 17 operation and taken away. She alleged that the family had neither seen him since nor received a satisfactory explanation of his whereabouts or condition.
RULAAC disclosed that it had separately received a report alleging that the gatekeeper had died, but stressed that the information had not been confirmed.
“The authorities must urgently establish his whereabouts and condition. If he is alive, they must ensure immediate access to appropriate medical care, his family and legal representation,” the organisation said.
It added that if his death was confirmed, his family should be formally notified and the circumstances independently investigated.
RULAAC further reported that Anokwu’s wife alleged that the police presented an order purportedly authorising her husband’s detention for 21 days, although, according to her, he had not been brought before a court.
The woman reportedly disputed the allegations against her husband and questioned whether a proper investigation had been conducted before his continued detention.
RULAAC called for a copy of the purported order and clarification of its date, the issuing court, the grounds supporting the application and its current status.
The organisation also raised concerns over information indicating that Anambra State Police authorities had directed that Anokwu and others be granted bail on October 21, but that their release was allegedly obstructed.
It said accounts differed on whether the detainees were released and subsequently rearrested or prevented from completing the bail process.
“These discrepancies require urgent examination of custody records, bail documents and relevant communications,” RULAAC said.
The organisation urged the Inspector-General of Police to order an immediate review of the detention of each person involved, disclose the specific allegations and legal authority for their continued custody, and secure their release wherever no lawful basis existed.
It added that any subsisting court order should be addressed promptly through the appropriate judicial process.
RULAAC also called for an independent investigation by officers outside the units implicated in the complaints.
It urged the police to investigate the alleged shooting and removal of the gatekeeper, identify the personnel involved, establish where he was taken and determine the medical treatment he received.
The organisation further demanded an investigation into the alleged threats, obstruction of bail and possible use of police powers to advance private interests in the land dispute.
It called for a review of the 2025 Zone 2 case records to establish the allegations made against Anokwu, the findings that led to his release and whether the current detention arose from substantially the same dispute or allegations.
RULAAC stressed the need to ensure that the detainees had access to their lawyers, family members and medical care, while protecting the complainants, their relatives and witnesses against intimidation or reprisals.
“These allegations require urgent and impartial scrutiny. Any credible allegation of crime must be investigated on its evidence,” RULAAC said.
“Police custody must never become an instrument for coercing a family into surrendering disputed land.”
The organisation said the reported earlier intervention by the Zone 2 leadership made it particularly important to establish why Anokwu was again facing detention over allegations said to arise from the same dispute.
“The family deserves answers, protection and a fair process. The Inspector-General of Police should act without delay,” the statement added.
RULAAC urged the police leadership to address the allegations promptly and ensure that the matter was handled in accordance with the law and due process.
