The family of a pioneering Nigerian police officer has launched a formal protest against what they describe as the deliberate erasure of his legacy from official records. They are demanding the immediate restoration of his name and portrait to the gallery of past commandants at the Nigeria Police College in Ikeja, Lagos.
A Formal Protest to the Inspector-General
In a strongly-worded letter addressed to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the children and relatives of former Assistant Commissioner of Police Aneto Umeadi Oyeoka Chinwuba have issued a 30-day ultimatum. They demand the police authorities correct the "historical vandalism" of removing Chinwuba's records. The letter, dated December 24, 2025, was signed by family representatives including Amaechi Chinwuba, Prof. Zelinjo Igweze, and Dr. Ugochukwu Chinwuba, among others.
The family accuses the Nigeria Police Force of systematically deleting all references to Chinwuba's service. They state that his name, photograph, and official biography have been removed from the Force's databases, archives, publications, and the physical gallery at the Ikeja Police College. This is despite his verified role as the first indigenous Commandant of the college in the early 1960s, following the departure of British colonial officers.
The Act of Historical Erasure
The family's letter provides detailed allegations of how Chinwuba's legacy has been obscured. They note that for decades, his name was prominently displayed in the College's Hall of Commandants and official brochures. However, in recent years, visitors, researchers, and serving officers have found his portrait missing from the gallery and his name deleted from official lists.
They describe the act as a "gross distortion and falsification" of the Nigeria Police Force's official history. The family frames the issue within a broader context, suggesting it continues a pattern of marginalisation against officers of Eastern Nigerian origin since the Nigerian Civil War. They argue that the police, as a national institution funded by taxpayers, has a duty to preserve accurate history for all Nigerians, not just a select group.
Demands and Wider Implications
The Chinwuba family has laid out specific demands for the Nigeria Police Force. They seek the immediate physical and digital restoration of his name, photograph, and biography to all relevant lists and galleries. Furthermore, they demand that all official publications, websites, and archives be updated to correctly reflect his pioneering position.
Beyond restoration, the family is calling for a formal public explanation and apology from the NPF, including disclosure of who authorised the erasure and why. They also want an independent panel constituted to investigate how such a falsification of records occurred and to prevent its recurrence against any officer, irrespective of ethnicity.
The letter warns that failure to address these grievances within 30 days will lead the family to pursue legal redress and mobilize national and international attention. Copies of the protest letter were sent to President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly committees on Police Affairs, the Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Victor Umeh, and relevant commissions including the Police Service Commission and the National Human Rights Commission.
