Court Orders IGP To Present Defunct SARS Operatives For Prosecution …Awards N2m Damages To The Plaintiff

By Bukar BOLORI

An Abuja High Court has ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mr Kayode Egbetokun to present for prosecution operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) found culpable in the 2017 abduction of John Anozie.

In a judgment delivered on the 24th day of September 2025 in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/865/2025 between: Mrs Nnenna Anozie v. Inspector General of Police, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Inspector General of Police to furnish the applicant- Mrs Nnenna Anozie with reports of the investigation conducted by the Nigeria Police Force on petitions submitted to it on the abduction and disappearance of Mr. John Anozie, the applicant’s husband.

While ordering the Inspector General of Police to forward the case file and report of investigation to the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation, the Court further directed the IGP to handover the erring officers to the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation for prosecution.

Further, the court awarded the sum of N2 million as damages against the IGP for refusing the request of the plaintiff for the reports of investigations conducted by the police on her husband’s abduction and disappearance.

On the 17th day of June 2017, Mr. John Chukwuemeka Anozie was allegedly abducted from his Lekki, Lagos residence by officers of the defunct Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) from Akwuzu, Anambra State who also made away with two SUV vehicles, briefcases containing foreign and local currencies, international passports of his wife and children, ATM cards and sundry belongings.

An order of the Anambra State High Court which directed the police to either release him from custody or alternatively arraign him in court was flouted by the police as he was never arraigned.

The police later claimed he died in custody during interrogation.

Another Order of the Anambra State High Court for his corpse to be released to his family for burial was again disobeyed as his corpse was never released to his family for burial till date.

In 2019, the traumatized wife of Mr. Anozie petitioned the Inspector General of Police over the matter pursuant to which the IGP caused an investigation to be conducted.

Some officers were indicted and indeed arrested for the egregious acts leading to the disappearance and presumed death of Mr. Anozie.

The O/C Legal at the police force Headquarters then, Mr. Tuesday Emienbo had rightly in his legal opinion, recommended the officers- (1) ASP Anthony Obiozor Ikechukwu, (2) Sgt. Uzochukwu Emeana, (3) John Eze and (4) Oriole A.k.a T-boy for prosecution. However, nothing happened.

The case was also brought before the EndSars Investigative Panel during its proceedings which lasted between 2020-2022.

The panel ordered the then Commissioner of Police Legal, one Mr. Ochogwu Ogbeh to appear before the panel and produced the case file of the matter.

He flouted the order of the panel and refused to appear before the panel despite the warrant of arrest issued against him.

In 2023, the law firm of Falana & Falana petitioned the IGP to reopen investigation into the matter, nothing was done.

Having waited endless without hope of getting justice for her husband, Mrs Anozie, through her lawyer, Vincent Adodo, made a request to the IGP under the Freedom of Information Act 2011 for copies of the investigation reports, case file and legal opinion issued by Mr. Tuesday Emeniebo to be furnished to her and to be forwarded to the office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation.

The IGP failed to respond to the request prompting the filing of the instant suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja. Despite being served with processes and hearing notices, the police failed to appear to defend the case.

The Court in its judgement granted all the reliefs of the plaintiff and awarded the sum of N2 million against the IGP as damages for the failed attempts the Applicant made to exercise her right under the Freedom of Information Act to no avail.

With the Court having delivered judgement, it is expected that the Inspector General of Police will immediately set processes in motion to ensure the prosecution of the erring police officers responsible for Mr. John Anozie’s abduction and disappearance.