Police secretly arraign 63-year-old man, 3 daughters in Abia State

Abia State Police Command has been accused of police impunity after secretly arraigning Mr. Chikadibia Sunday, a 63-year-old shoe manufacturer, and his three daughters.

The family was detained incommunicado for over three weeks after being abducted in a violent raid on their home in Alaukwu village, Osisioma Ngwa LGA, in April.

The police initially denied knowledge of their whereabouts, despite witness accounts and evidence placing them at the notorious Anti-Kidnapping Unit in Umuahia.

The family was denied access to lawyers or relatives throughout their detention.

According to a report from the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), only after pressure from the media and civil society organizations were they quietly remanded at Aba Correctional Centre—without informing their family or allowing legal representation.

The secretive nature of the arraignment and lack of due process raises grave concerns about the transparency and integrity of the justice system.

The family faces capital charges ranging from conspiracy to murder to kidnapping, which are entirely alien to them.

The charges have sparked outrage, with many questioning the police’s motives and the integrity of the justice system.

The group lamented that the conduct of the Abia State Police shows a disturbing pattern of abuse—marked by arbitrary arrest, denial of access, and secret arraignments—and demands urgent intervention from the Inspector-General of Police and the Police Service Commission. Nigerians must not remain silent as such acts erode the very foundation of justice ..