SARS Brutality: Nine Years After, FG to Prosecute Officers Allegedly Behind ‘Missing’ Businessman

–         As Police surrenders case file to AGF 

Alex Enumah in Abuja 

Hope for justice came the way of family members of a Lagos businessman, John Anozie, following the transfer of the original case file of investigation report to the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), for the prosecution of Police officers allegedly behind the disappearance of the businessman.

The forwarding of the case file to the AGF was in compliance with the judgment of Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, delivered September last year.

Justice Nyako had ordered the Inspector General (IG) of Police, to release the duplicate case file and investigation reports to Mrs. Nnena Anozie, wife of the missing businessman; arrest the officers identified as the principal suspects; hand them over to the AGF for prosecution and pay N2 million in damages for violating her right to information.

Following delay in complying with the orders of the court Mrs. Anozie further filed a committal to prison charge against the IG last December, a move that paid off last week.

Recall that Justice Nyako had fixed Friday July 24, for ruling in the matter but however met with counsel in her chamber, where she informed Mrs. Anozie’s lawyer of the forwarding of the case file to the AGF for the prosecution of the police officers involved in the disappearance of Mr. Anozie.

Copies of the court documents showed that a Notice of Compliance dated July 21 was filed at the court on July 22, by Police counsel, Mr. Stanley Nwodo.

The notice read: I hereby forward an acknowledgement of the forwarded case file to the Honourable Attorney General’s office by the Nigeria Police Force as requested by the order of the Court in the suit accordingly.

The police in a forwarding letter dated July 15, said it took the action following the service of “Form 48 (Notice to Show Cause why an order to commit the IG to Prison/Correctional Centre should not be made), received from Federal High Court Abuja in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/865/2025.”

The letter to the AGF, signed by the Deputy Director (Administration), Directorate of Legal Services, CP Aremu Silas, read in part, “I have been directed to forward herewith the original case file in respect of the above case for your esteemed Office’s perusal, legal inputs and possible prosecution”.

Items in the original case file forwarded to the AGF included; a police investigation report, extracts from the crime diary, minute sheets, the original petition filed by Mrs. Anozie and several witness statements.

Others are statements obtained from the indicted police officers, police wireless messages, records of investigation activities, applications for bail, correspondence on the duplicate case file, legal advice and subsequent correspondence on the legal advice.

Meanwhile, it was observed the documents were first forwarded by the Commissioner of Police, X-Squad Section of the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja, to the IG on June 8, 2020 for prosecution.

Reacting, Mrs. Anozie’s lawyer, Mr. Vincent Adodo said, “While we commend the Inspector General of Police for complying with this aspect of the judgment of the Federal High Court, we look forward to full compliance with the other orders of the court as contained in the judgment as follows:

“Release of the Certified True Copy of the duplicate Casefile to the Applicant.

“Arrest of the main suspects in the case who abducted the Applicant’s husband: ASP Anthony Obiozor Ikechukwu and Sergent Ugochukwu Emeana.

“That the suspects be handed over to the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice for prosecution.

“Payment of the sum of N2,000,000.00 (two million naira) to the applicant being damages awarded in her favour by the court for violation of her right to freedom of information”.

Adodo also expressed gratitude to the judge for her “incredible demonstration of humanity and empathy towards the plight of the applicant whose husband was abducted by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Akwuzu, Anambra State in June 2017 and has since not been seen”. 

According to him, the significant progress recorded in the matter so far has been a direct fruit of the court’s sincere commitment to ensuring that the applicant gets justice.

The unavailability of the original case file had hindered the prosecution of the SARS officers, who arrested and illegal detained Anozie, “robbed him” and subsequently “killed him” in their custody.

Anozie was said to have disappeared in June 2017 after operatives of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) allegedly travelled from Awkuzu, Anambra State, to arrest the businessman at his Lekki residence in Lagos.

His wife, Mrs. Nnena Anozie, however has been in search for justice since then, filing several petitions at the police, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the #EndSARS Judicial Panel of Inquiry.

She has also secured several judgments from different courts directing the police to produce her husband or his body and hold the officers implicated in his disappearance accountable, but the police ignored all the court’s orders until a committal to prison charge was brought against the IG.

Meanwhile, some members of civil society organizations led by the Abuja Left, on Friday protested outside the Federal High Court, Abuja, calling on the IG to do the needful by complying fully with the orders of the court.

Leader of the group, Mr. Gerald Kachi, also charged the AGF to ensure justice for the victim and his family.

“There has been a lot of court orders in the matter which the police have not obeyed, the Judicial Panel sat, all the invitations made to the police were not honoured, three officers were indicted they are still there, nothing has been done.

“We have to lend our voice and call for justice because justice delayed for nine years is obviously justice denied, and we cannot accept that”, he said.

“We call on the IG to do the needful, it could be him tomorrow…let them prosecute the three officers indicted, let them release the report to the family. We must get justice for Mr. John Chukwuemeka, we must get adequate compensation for the family.

“We are using this opportunity to call on the Attorney General of the Federation to do the needful and come to the aid of these citizens. Those involved should be prosecuted according to our laws”, he added.