Anambra Vigilantes Detain Pregnant Woman, Two Children for Over 20 Days; Family Petitions Police

The family of Mr. Daniel Ikwo in Nnewi, Anambra State, has sent a petition to the state Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, alleging the unlawful detention of Daniel, his pregnant wife, Cynthia, and their two young children by operatives of the state security outfit, Udogachi. The family claims the four have been held for over 20 days, with their whereabouts largely unknown.

According to the petition, dated June 20, 2025, and signed by the family’s legal counsel, Chijioke Onwe, Udogachi operatives stormed the Ikwo family home in the early hours of May 30, 2025, whisking away the entire family. Despite repeated attempts by family members to ascertain their status, they were allegedly denied access to the detainees.

The family stated that after numerous failed efforts, they were eventually allowed to see Cynthia, her four-year-old daughter Chizaram, and two-year-old son Chidiogo at the Udogachi command on June 18, 2025. However, they were not permitted to approach them, and Daniel himself was not brought out. A subsequent visit on June 19, 2025, accompanied by their lawyers, also resulted in denied access.

The petition urgently appealed to the Commissioner of Police for intervention, highlighting the grave risks posed to the health and safety of the detainees, particularly the heavily pregnant woman and the toddlers. It urged the police to launch a discreet investigation to determine the reasons for the prolonged arrest and detention.

Nwali Chinedu, a member of the family and Cynthia’s brother, lamented their distress, stating, “Up till now, we do not know what offense our sister or her husband committed that would justify the abduction of the entire family, including a four-year-old daughter and her younger sibling.”

A copy of the petition, obtained by Sunday PUNCH, bore an official police receipt stamp, confirming its reception by the Commissioner’s office on Friday, June 20, 2025. When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Tochukwu Ikenga, stated that he would escalate the matter to the leadership of Udogachi for necessary action if the case existed in their records.

Attempts to get official reasons for the detention from the Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Community Security, Ken Emeakayi, proved abortive. However, the State Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, when contacted, simply advised, “Advise such people to go to court.”