HURIWA Calls for Immediate Investigation into Alleged Midnight Police Raid in Imo State
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has issued a strong demand to the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, urging an immediate and thorough investigation into an alleged midnight police raid in Imo State. The group asserts that this incident raises grave concerns about the legality, professionalism, and human rights compliance within the Nigeria Police Force, highlighting potential abuses of power.
Details of the Alleged Incident and Petition
HURIWA, through its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, revealed that it has obtained a formal petition submitted to the Assistant Inspector General of Police at the Zone 9 Headquarters in Umuahia. The petition was filed by Jesmond Okonkwo, Solicitors and Legal Consultants, based in Owerri. It outlines a volatile family dispute stemming from the death of Mr. Vitus Ugbaja, who reportedly passed away in July 2025 in Kafanchan, Kaduna State.
According to the petition, tensions escalated between members of the deceased's family and his widow, Mrs. Chibuzor Ugbaja, over burial arrangements scheduled for March 21 and March 22, 2026, as well as disputes regarding the late man's property. HURIWA expressed deep concern over events that allegedly occurred in the early hours of today, describing as disturbing the claims that around 3:00 a.m., the widow arrived with armed police officers from the Criminal Investigation Department in Owerri and stormed the residence of the deceased's family.
Allegations of Brutal Operation and Police Misconduct
The petition alleges that the officers arrested the brothers of the late Mr. Ugbaja in what was characterized as a brutal, Gestapo-style operation, aimed at disrupting burial arrangements and intimidating the family. HURIWA noted that this incident is particularly troubling because the Assistant Inspector General of Police overseeing Imo, Abia, and Ebonyi states was reportedly already handling the matter prior to the alleged raid.
HURIWA strongly condemns what it describes—if confirmed—as a reckless descent into institutional abuse, where police operatives are allegedly deployed in the dead of night to intervene in a civil family dispute involving burial rites and inheritance tensions. Such conduct, if true, represents a dangerous erosion of police neutrality and a blatant affront to constitutional safeguards against arbitrary arrest, intimidation, and abuse of state power.
Demands for Accountability and Action
The association warns that Nigeria cannot afford a policing culture where grief-stricken families are subjected to armed midnight invasions, allegedly coordinated under questionable circumstances and outside due process. HURIWA is therefore demanding urgent and decisive action from the Inspector General of Police to launch a high-level investigation into the alleged midnight operation in Imo State. Specific demands include:
- Identify all officers involved in the operation and determine whether due authorization was obtained.
- Sanction any personnel found guilty of acting outside lawful orders or engaging in professional misconduct.
- Ensure the immediate and unconditional release of the detained siblings of the deceased if they are being held unlawfully.
- Reaffirm internal disciplinary controls within the Imo State Police Command to prevent further erosion of public trust.
HURIWA further called on the Imo State Commissioner of Police to publicly account for this alleged operation and take responsibility for any breakdown in command discipline within the state command. The group warned that repeated allegations of heavy-handed policing, arbitrary arrests, and operational indiscipline across parts of the country risk turning law enforcement into instruments of fear rather than justice.
Final Warnings and Police Response
The Nigeria Police Force must not be reduced to a tool allegedly deployed in family disputes under the cover of darkness. The rule of law must not be replaced with the rule of force. The Inspector General of Police is urged to act swiftly, transparently, and decisively before this matter escalates into a national embarrassment.
When contacted, the command's spokesperson, Henry Okoye, stated that the Commissioner of Police has directed an investigation into the matter, indicating initial steps toward addressing the allegations.
