PREAMBLE: I am Prof. John Kanu Emeh the father of Nnamdi Daniel Emeh who has been incarcerated in unlawful custody for three years now i.e. since 3rd March 2023 till date. I spare no effort to report here the true facts of this case in chronological order since its inception.
THE INCEPTION OF THE CASE. This sordid affair started when in January 2023, Force HQ of the NPF intercepted a signal from Istanbul Turkiye that unveiled a plan to transport hand-propelled granades to one Mr Chibuike Ekwueme in Anambra State. These granades were meant to be deployed by members of Eastern Security Network (ESN), an affiliate of Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB). Force HQ consequently mounted strict surveillance on Ekwueme’s phone conversations and movements. When eventually Mr Ekwueme arrived Nigeria to take custody of the illegal granade shipment Force HQ promptly alerted Anambra State Police Command to track Mr Ekwueme. Anambra State Police Command swiftly swung into action and used the services of a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member Mr Nnamdi Daniel Emeh (an ICT) expert to track down Mr Ekwueme. He( Ekwueme) was eventually arrested by a combined team of Rapid Response Squad Awkuzu including Nnamdi Emeh, Directorate of State Service (DSS) and other law enforcement agencies. Mr Ekwueme was arraigned at Federal High Court Awka and charged with terrorism- a non- bailable offence. The then Anambra State Commissioner of Police at the time Mr Echeng Echeng was so impressed with Nnamdi’s gallantry that he donated ₦50,000 to him.
Around the end of February 2023 and with the greatest shock to my family Nnamdi was declared wanted by Anambra State Police Command on the trumped up charge of being the mastermind of an offensive social media publication divulging the atrocities perpetrated by the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) formerly Special Armed Robbery Squad (SARS) at Awkuzu in Anambra State with CSP Patrick Agbazue as officer in charge. Though Nnamdi denied this bogus allegation, the police in Anambra tried to eliminate him in order to cover up their heinous crimes. When Nnamdi realised that his life was in grave danger, he escaped to Cotonou Benin Republic but was repatriated to Nigeria on 3rd March 2023. He was remanded at Force CID Garki, Abuja and transferred to State CID Awka Anambra against public outcry. At State CID, Nnamdi was invited to a midnight secret meeting on 23rd April 2023 by CP Mr Echeng Echeng to discuss his case. When Nnamdi declined the midnight secret meeting, apprehensive of danger to his life the police resorted to subject him to all manner of inhuman treatments including parading him with notorious hardened kidnappers, armed robbers, terrorists etc. On 25th April 2023, I as Nnamdi’s father accompanied by our Counsel J. U. Ijeoma Esq. went to see the CP and know what the midnight meeting was about. The CP declined to see us. It is pertinent to note that at the wake of this case, the former IGP Mr Usman Alkali Baba set up a panel of Enquiry on this case in 2023. The report of the panel has been swept under the carpet till date.
ARRAIGNMENT.
On 11th May 2023, Nnamdi was arraigned on trumped up 12-count charges at Federal High Court Awka. He denied all the charges and was transferred from State CID to Awka Correction Centre. On 17th May 2023, Nnamdi was granted bail by late Justice F. O. Riman. Late Justice Riman admitted in open court that he received several phone calls asking him to deny Nnamdi bail but had decided to the contrary because all the charges were bailable offences.
CONSPIRACY BY THE POLICE AND ACCOMPLICES.
Since May 2023 all attempts by the family to perfect the bail conditions have been thwarted by the police and their cohorts. The family has sadly realised that the police accomplices include the Deputy Court Registrar(DCR) Mrs Apollonia Nkem Mbah and some bailiffs such as Mr Chidubem of the Federal High Court Awka, Anambra State Nigeria. Police nefarious acts include confronting prospective sureties to dissuade them from the assignment.
SIGNING OF RELEASE WARRANT. However on 10th May 2024 by the miraculous act of God, the DCR signed out our case file to the Chief Judge, Justice S. M. Shuaibu that our bail conditions had been perfected. Consequently, Justice S. M. Shuaibu signed Nnamdi’s Release Warrant on 15th May 2024.
RESTRAINT ON EXECUTION OF RELEASE WARRANT.
On 16th May 2024, when Nnamdi was to be released from prison custody, the police being alerted by the DCR filed an Ex- Parte Motion restraining the execution of the Release Order even though the necessary logistics fees to serve the prison authorities with the Order had been paid by me. However, in a most bizarre twist of events, Justice Shuaibu after throwing out the police Ex-Parte Motion for lacking merit ruled that he would do accelerated hearing on the case. This is unprecedented in the annals of the administration of justice.
MISSING DOCUMENTS FROM CASE FILE. Sometime in 2024, Justice Shuaibu was transferred to Kano and our case started de novo on 15th November 2024 under Justice Evelyn Anyadike. When our Defence Attorney raised the issue of the Release Warrant it was discovered that vital documents including the Release Order were missing from the case file. Justice Anyadike, therefore, asked our Defence Attorney to write him a petition on the missing documents. When the case was resumed on 24th January 2025, Justice Evelyn Anyadike said that she relied on DCR report of lies to rule that a new set of sureties be presented. The whereabouts of Shuaibu’s release order was totally ignored. A report by the bailiff Mr Chidubem dated 13th December 2024 was admitted by the court. The original, authentic report written by the same bailiff Mr Chidubem in May 2024 affirming that the bail conditions had been perfected was not mentioned or it is perhaps missing.
In the DCR report of lies it was mentioned in open court that “There was a meeting of all parties” at which it was agreed that new sureties be presented. This is a blatant lie. There was never a meeting of all parties. Hearing was adjourned till 19th March, 2025.
On this date Mr Patrick Agbazue who was officer in charge of SARS and heavily indicted in the case introduced himself as Assistant Commissioner of Police, posted to Imo State Nigeria. He made his statement in court as Prosecution Witness No1 (PW1). He was cross-examined by our Defence Attorney. On this date and to our greatest surprise my family discovered that Mr Chibuike Ekwueme appeared as PW2 for the police. He made his statement to the court and was completely cross-examined by our Defence Attorney. Case was adjourned till June 17th, 2025.
On June 17th, the Judge treated only Political cases and our matter was adjourned till September 23rd, 2025.
On September 23rd, 2025 , Prosecution produced only one witness, Mr Obiorah PW3. He made his statement in court and was completely cross-examined by our Defence Attorney
CLOSING REMARKS .
By a wicked twist of fate, all the principal characters indicted in this case are all enjoying their freedom except Nnamdi. They are all living their lives, doing their work or running their businesses. The following examples will underpin my point.
1. Mr Chibuike Ekwueme who was tracked by Nnamdi and charged with terrorism was released on bail and is shuttling between Istanbul Türkiye and Nigeria as usual. A treasonable felon is released from prison while the mastermind of his arrest is locked up in jail. TERRORISM is listed under NON-BAILABLE crimes in Nigeria.
2. The report of the police enquiry ordered by former IGP Mr Usman Alkali Baba has been swept under the carpet.
3. Mr Echeng Echeng the Anambra State CP at the inception of the case was promoted to AIG and transferred to zone 9 Umuahia, Abia State.
4. Mr Patrick Agbazue, the Officer in Charge of the notorious SARS Awkuzu at the inception of this case and PW 1 has been promoted to ACP and posted to Imo State Nigeria.
5.SP Nkiru Nwode one of the officers indicted in this case has been promoted to CSP,
6. Inspr Akama Harrison, one of the PWs is free and alleged to have left the country. Others too numerous to mention here are free except Nnamdi the scapegoat.
7. Nnamdi Daniel Emeh was an inexperienced 25 year old, vulnerable NYSC member serving his father land with the police. He has not committed any crime that deserves perpetual incarceration. In fact Nnamdi’s life is in grave danger as the police and their cohorts deliberately detain him in cells with criminals he HELPED the police to apprehend. The police should set Nnamdi free after three years in prison. We appeal to friends, all well meaning and patriotic Nigerians and in fact the international community to rally to save our only child from irreparable damage to his young life.
Facebook (Omoyele Sowore)
