Weaponising law: Abandoned case against Alfred Friday

By Okechukwu Nwanguma

The ordeal of Mr. Alfred Friday Eme continues to expose the deep rot in Nigeria’s policing and justice system. His story is more than a personal tragedy – it is emblematic of how the Nigeria Police Force and segments of the judiciary have turned criminal charges into tools of intimidation, blackmail, and repression.

From the outset, Friday’s ordeal bore all the hallmarks of a malicious prosecution. On June 26, 2025, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Enugu State Police Command abducted him from his Lagos residence without a warrant. For days, his family agonised over his whereabouts.

Police denied knowledge of his detention until a covert call from him revealed he was being secretly held in Enugu. Even then, officers continued to deny the obvious until public pressure forced them to admit the truth. He was detained unlawfully, held incommunicado, and denied access to family and legal counsel – an enforced disappearance in violation of Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution.

Instead of releasing him or following due process, the police retaliated when his family sought redress. They threatened his wife, warning that unless petitions were withdrawn and media reports silenced, he would be taken to court. His lawyer, rather than being given access, was obstructed, berated, and accused of “reporting back to RULAAC.” The intimidation was not just against Friday, but against his entire support system.

Eventually, the threats materialised. He was arraigned, not in pursuit of justice, but in retaliation. He was slammed with bogus charges branding him an IPOB member and linking him to fabricated offences.

This, too, is a familiar pattern: in the South-East, the “IPOB” label has become a convenient weapon used by police to justify arbitrary arrests, torture, extortion, and malicious prosecution.

This week, the hollowness of the case was laid bare in court. The matter—FRIDAY EME v. THE STATE (MOTION NO: E/832m/2025)—was listed for hearing. His counsel, Nnamdi C. Nwaonumah, appeared for the defendant. But there was no appearance from the state. The prosecution simply abandoned the case.

The court, after being informed of a pending bail application, ordered that a hearing notice be served on the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and adjourned the matter to September 10, 2025.

This is typical. When the police maliciously charge citizens, the aim is not to prove a case. It is to send the victim to prison, inflict suffering, and then abandon the case because there is no evidence. In Nigeria, prisons are filled with such cases – men and women languishing in pretrial detention for years on trumped-up charges that were never meant to be prosecuted. Friday’s ordeal is one more reminder of how the police manipulate the justice system to punish those who dare to demand accountability.

His case mirrors others that have shocked the public conscience.
– Jude Nwoye Anokwu was abducted in Anambra by Zone 2 officers over a land dispute and falsely branded IPOB.
– Glory Okolie was turned into a domestic slave in police custody despite court orders in her favour.
– Thaddeus Ojokoh was nearly executed at Tiger Base for an offence he allegedly committed while already in custody.

Across the country, countless others suffer in silence. Families who speak out face blackmail and intimidation; those who cannot afford publicity are forced to pay ransoms to secure their loved ones’ release.

The Alfred Friday case reflects not just individual misconduct but systemic rot. Rogue officers now act like predator gangs under the cover of law, abducting citizens for ransom or retaliation. Court officials and prosecutors collude, converting judicial processes into tools of oppression.

Oversight institutions such as the Police Service Commission, the Ministry of Police Affairs, and even the National Human Rights Commission have proven too weak – or too complicit- to enforce accountability. Petitions to the Enugu Commissioner of Police and the Inspector General went unanswered. The Police Service Commission acknowledged complaints but failed to act.

Nigeria cannot afford to normalise this descent into authoritarian policing. Malicious prosecution erodes public trust, undermines the rule of law, and leaves the justice system compromised. If law enforcement agencies can abduct citizens, conceal their whereabouts, fabricate charges, intimidate families, obstruct lawyers, and collude with the courts – all with impunity – then no Nigerian is safe.

The way forward must be clear. Officers of the Enugu Anti-Kidnapping Unit – involved in Friday’s ordeal – including Supol John Ilia – must be investigated, suspended, and prosecuted. The bogus charges against him must be withdrawn, and he must be compensated for unlawful detention and trauma. Anti-Kidnapping Units across the country must be restructured under strict civilian oversight.

Magistrates and court officials who collude in obstructing justice must face disciplinary action. And the Attorney General must ensure compliance with existing court orders in similar cases to restore public faith in the rule of law.

Mr. Alfred Friday’s ordeal is a tragic reminder of a broken system. It should not take endless petitions, media outcry, and international attention before the police are compelled to obey the law. His case demands justice – not just for him, but for all Nigerians who have been victims of this lawlessness in uniform.

Until that happens, Nigeria will remain a country where law enforcement is not a shield of protection but a sword of oppression. And democracy, instead of delivering freedom and safety, will continue to be undermined by those sworn to defend it.