Kidney Transplant Recipient Decries Continuous Detention by Inter-Agency Task Force 

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt 

A man battling kidney challenge, Chief Ugochukwu Ibekwe, has decried alleged continuous detention by Special Prosecution Team of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Petroleum Product Theft and Sundry Energy Crimes, despite bail granted by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Chief Ibekwe in a petition by his legal representative, Damian O. Okoro, SAN, said he has been under the detention of CSP Omar John Sini, Head of Investigation of the special prosecution team for a prolonged and unjustifiable period of over 65 days.

According to the petition, Ibekwe was arrested first on February 14, 2026 in connection with an alleged offence of illegal bunkering/dealing in petroleum product which it said has remained unproven.  

The petition maintained that despite the constitutional presumption of innocence guaranteed under Section 36(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), Chief Ibekwe has continued to suffer incarceration under conditions that are both oppressive and legally indefensible.

In the petition addressed to Inspector General of Police and the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Chief Ibekwe claimed that from the onset, the investigative process of CSP Sini and his men has been allegedly characterised by malice.

He said: “Initial administrative bail conditions set by the Head of Investigation were not only unrealistic but draconian and punitive and clearly designed to ensure that I remain in custody indefinitely rather than to secure my attendance for investigation and prosecution, if necessary.”

Ibekwe said that faced with these oppressive conditions, “I instructed my lawyer to approach a court of competent jurisdiction for the enforcement of my fundamental rights. Subsequently, I was arraigned before the Federal High Court, Umuahia Judicial Division and the Honourable Court, in its wisdom and in adherence to the principle of presumption of innocence, granted bail to me on liberal terms. 

“However, following the perfection of the bail as granted by the Federal High Court, Umuahia and my subsequent reluctant release by CSP Omar John Sini on 2/4/2026, I was on 2/4/2026 re-arrested by the operatives of the Special Prosecution Team at the gate of the detention dungeon on the same day based on the present allegations of money laundering”.

He said following his re-arrest by the operatives of the Prosecution Team, “no attempt has been made to charge me to court on the new allegations of money laundering brought by CSP Sini but I have remained incarcerated in blatant perpetuity.”

Ibekwe further said that rather than serving the lawful purpose of securing attendance during investigation, the conditions of bail imposed by CSP Sini “were clearly structured to make compliance practically impossible” and thereby ensure his continued and perpetual incarceration by indirect means. 

A situation which he said prompted his team of lawyers led by the Senior Advocate to approach a High Court sitting in Oyigbo presided over by Hon. Justice F.A Fiberesima in Suit No: OYHC/45/FHR/2026, which the court on April 21, 2026 granted him bail on liberal and realistic terms.

The petition was also sent to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and copied to the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Senate President on systemic abuse of power, alleged contemptuous disregard for judicial authority, and the consistent unconstitutional detention of Chief Ugochukwu Lucky Ibekwe by CSP Omar John Sini and his team.

He expressed concern that he is a kidney transplant patient who suffers from acute hypertension and his health has deteriorated significantly owing to the prolonged incarceration which was one of the reasons he approached the High Court of Rivers State, being the court vested with competent jurisdiction, for an Order granting bail.

The petition cautioned that “the conduct displayed by CSP Sini so far is not merely irregular, but illegal, contemptuous, and subversive of constitutional democracy, an action of an officer which is painting the Nigerian Police Force as a bully that perceives itself to be above the law”, warning that when the Executive arm (the Police) willfully disregards the mandates of the Judiciary, it signals a collapse of the rule of Law and an invitation to anarchy.

He demanded for his prompt and unconditional release in accordance with the positive Order of the Court, a thorough internal disciplinary investigation of CSP Sini for the alleged disobedience of court Order and abuse of power and should be “brought to book” to serve as a deterrent against the growing culture of impunity within the Nigerian Police Force. 

The CSP Sini who reacted on the petition acknowledged receipt of the first and second court orders directing the release of the suspect.

Sini said he refused obeying the second court order following the fact that his legal representatives informed him of the intention to appeal the order, alleging that threat to his life by the suspect has also remained an important fact why he has refused to honor the directive in the valid court order.

He explained “We honoured the court order because we are law enforcement officers. This is, first and foremost, an inter-agency taskforce recently created by the federal government from the police, EFCC, DSS, Civil Defence, Army and Navy to complement the fight against crude oil theft.

“So, our heads of agencies from respective will not send us to come and behave like rascals and rogues. We must obey court order and act in accordance with the rules of law. We obeyed the court order as usual and as we used to do from our parent organisations prior to the creation of this joint taskforce.

“He (Ibekwe) was first and foremost being investigated for crude oil theft. The allegation is that he’s a mastermind of heinous activities, of the illicit activities in the hydrocarbon sector along the Imo River axis. And that he used his position as the mayor of that axis to tamper with pipelines and even hired some pipelines illegally to people to come and tamper.

“So, the second matter is the matter of money laundering, which when confronted, he said he will not write. That as far as he’s concerned, money laundering is the only EFCC that can investigate it and that is ignorance on his part because section 14, subsection D of the Police Act and Regulation 2020 empower the police to investigate all crimes without prejudice to the enabling acts of other security agencies.”

Sini added that “Our lawyers have informed me that they are appealing, which they have appealed to set aside this court order because it’s a pattern by some desperate lawyers to interfere with criminal investigation.

“They have been using it to bully law enforcement which must not be allowed. It must not be tolerated; it must not be condoned by experienced investigators. So, our lawyers have appealed to set aside that court order.”