Court orders IGP Egbetokun to release police officers for prosecution over businessman’s disappearance

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The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to hand over four serving and retired police officers involved in the disappearance of a businessman, John Anozie, for prosecution.

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Mr Anozie has not been seen by his family after the police officers reportedly “abducted” him from his home in Lagos in 2017.

The individuals implicated in Mr Anozie’s disappearance are a retired assistant superintendent of police, Anthony Obiozor, Uzochukwu Emeana, John Eze, and Oriole, also known as T-boy.

The judge, Binta Nyako, ordered Kayode Egbetokun, the current IGP, to hand over the four police officers to the office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) for prosecution.

Mrs Nyako also directed Mr Egbetokun to release relevant case files and investigative reports to the AGF office within seven days.

The seven days started counting from when the judge gave the judgement on 24 September.

PREMIUM TIMES saw on Monday the certified true copy of the summary of the judgement.

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Mr Anozie’s family said the police officers, who were officers of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Awkuzu, Anambra State, travelled to Lekki in Lagos State to “abduct” him at his home in June 2017.

For eight years, his wife, Nnenna Anozie, has made a series of efforts, including filing court cases, to secure the release or confirm if he is still alive, to no avail.

She filed her latest case, through her lawyer, Vincent Adodo, in June this year as a Freedom of Information (FoI) matter.

The case was undefended by the police, which failed to show up or submit any filing in court despite evidence of their being served the applicant’s processes and hearing notices.

In the absence of the police, Mrs Nyako granted all Mrs Anozie’s prayers.

‘Release documents’

In addition to ordering the police officers’ prosecution, the judge directed the police to release some documents regarding the case to Mrs Anozie within seven days from the date of the judgement.

The documents include “the report of the investigation conducted by the IGP-Monitoring team led by Mr Chinedu arising from the petition of Falana & Falana dated 23/11/2023.

Another of the documents is the “case file of the abduction and disappearance of Mr John Chukwuemeka Anozie as investigated by the X-Squad of the Nigeria Police in 2017”.

The third document to be released to Mr Anozie is the legal opinion “the case file of Mr John Chukwuemeka Anozie last seen with the legal department of the Nigeria Police Headquarters Abuja”. Mrs Njyako ordered that a copy of the legal opinion should be sent to the Attorney General of the Federation.

Background

In 2017, the police officers linked to the disappearance of Mr Anozie travelled from their base in Anambra State to Lagos to arrest him from his home in Lekki, Lagos State, on 17 June 2017.

They also took two SUV vehicles, briefcases containing foreign and local currencies, the passports of his wife and children, ATM cards, and sundry belongings.

In her battle for the release of her husband, Mrs Anozie obtained a court order directing the police to release or arraign him.

But they flouted an order given by a court in Anambra State.

The police later said Mr Anozie died in custody during interrogation, prompting the family to file another application in court, which ordered the release of the corpse.

But the police refused to release the corpse to his family, flouting another court order.

Therefore, in 2019, Mrs Anozie petitioned the IGP over the matter, which led to an investigation.

The officers involved in Mr Anozie’s disappearance were investigated. The officer in charge, Legal, Police Force Headquarters, Tuesday Emienbo, recommended the officers’ prosecution.

But the recommendation was never carried out.

Mrs Anozie subsequently took the matter before the #EndSARS Investigative Panel in Abuja, which sat between 2020 and 2022. The panel also ordered the former Commissioner of Police Legal, Ochogwu Ogbeh, to produce the case file of the matter.

Mr Ogbeh never appeared before the panel or presented the case file despite the warrant issued against him.

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Acting on Mrs Anozie’s behalf, Falana & Falana law firm petitioned the IGP in 2023 to reopen the investigation. The case was again assigned to one Chinedu for investigation.

But since the petition of Falana & Falana, nothing was done to bring the officers to book.

In April this year, Mrs Anozie engaged Mr Adodo of the Providence Law Firm to write a letter dated the 8 April 2025 to the police authorities, demanding release of the casefile and legal opinion regarding the matter.

The police snubbed the request, prompting Mrs Anozie to institute the FoI enforcement action to seek the information and other prayers sought.

During the proceedings, the police failed to appear despite being served with the court processes and hearing notices.

The judge subsequently ruled in Mrs Anozie’s favour, granting her request for the investigation reports “within seven days of the judgment.”