By George Omagbemi Sylvester
In an unprecedented judicial move, a Federal High Court in Abuja has threatened to direct the Chief of Army Staff to arrest Inspector‑General of Police Kayode Egbetokun over alleged contempt of court in a high-profile missing person case.
The warning underscores growing tensions between Nigeria’s judiciary and security agencies over enforcement of court orders.
The threat came on Tuesday, February 18, 2026, during proceedings initiated by Nnenna Anozie, whose husband, John Anozie, was reportedly abducted in June 2017 by officers of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and has not been seen since.
Despite multiple court orders directing the police to produce the accused officers and submit relevant case files, the Nigeria Police Force has allegedly failed to comply, prompting Mrs Anozie to seek contempt charges against the IGP himself.
The contempt application is based on a September 2025 ruling that ordered the IGP to produce officers Anthony Obiozor Ikechukwu, Uzochukwu Emeana, John Eze (alias T Boy), and Sunday Okpe, along with all investigative materials related to the case. Non-compliance with the order, despite official contempt notices, triggered Justice Binta Nyako’s extraordinary warning.
Legal experts expressed alarm at the standoff. Professor Chidi Odinkalu, a human rights scholar, said:
Constitutional lawyer Akin Olujimi SAN added: “Judicial pronouncements mean little if security agencies treat them as optional. This erodes public confidence in democratic institutions.”
The IGP’s counsel, Stanley Nwodo, acknowledged confusion over officer identities but did not provide a definitive timeline for compliance. Justice Nyako adjourned further proceedings to April 23, 2026, proposing a mediated meeting to resolve the matter.
Leave a Reply