FCT Judge Warns of Possible Arrest of IGP Egbetokun for Contempt as Woman Pursues Justice for Her ‘Abducted’ Husband

FCT Judge Warns of Possible Arrest of IGP Egbetokun for Contempt as Woman Pursues Justice for Her ‘Abducted’ Husband

A judge from the Federal High Court in Abuja issued a strong warning on Tuesday, indicating that she might order the Nigerian Army to arrest Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun due to his repeated failure to comply with court orders.

This warning was made as a woman, whose husband vanished after being taken by police officers, intensified her contempt proceedings against the police chief.

Judge Binta Nyako delivered this warning during a hearing concerning a contempt application filed by Mrs. Nnenna Anozie, whose husband, Mr. John Anozie, was reportedly abducted by police operatives in June 2017 and has not been found since.

Allegedly, Mrs. Anozie’s husband was taken in Lagos by officers from the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), who traveled from Awkuzu in Anambra State to carry out the abduction.

More than eight years later, Mr. Anozie’s whereabouts remain a mystery, leaving his family without answers.

Since the incident, Mrs. Anozie has been relentless in her quest for justice, moving through various courts and participating in the #EndSARS judicial panels to uncover the truth about her husband’s disappearance.

Her efforts have led to multiple court orders requiring the police to either locate the missing man or hold accountable the officers involved.

The most recent order was issued by Justice Nyako in September 2025, directing the IGP to produce the implicated officers and relevant case files related to Mr. Anozie’s abduction.

According to Mrs. Anozie, the police have ignored this order, prompting her to file contempt proceedings against the IGP.

According to Premium Times, during the hearing on Tuesday, Mrs. Anozie’s lawyer, Mr. Vincent Adodo, detailed the long-standing history of the police’s refusal to comply with court orders in this case.

He informed the court that due to the ongoing defiance, he was compelled to file Forms 48 and 49, the necessary documents to initiate contempt proceedings against the IGP, which had been duly served.

“Despite the overwhelming evidence, the IGP has not produced the offenders,” Mrs. Anozie’s lawyer lamented in court. He suggested that the police could take the case files to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice for further action.

He also mentioned that Mrs. Anozie, who has been pursuing justice since the 2017 incident, traveled from Lagos to Abuja specifically to attend the hearing.

In response, the police’s lawyer, Mr. Stanley Nwodo, representing the IGP, stated that he had only received Form 48 and claimed there was confusion regarding the identities of the implicated police officers.

Justice Nyako interrupted him.

“That’s not the issue because there is a ruling,” the judge stated.

Reiterating her willingness to uphold the court’s authority, Justice Nyako expressed that she would have no hesitation in “granting the order to commit the IGP” if it became necessary.

She pointedly added, “I will instruct the Chief of Army Staff to detain him. I will not request the police to do so.”

Typically, the police are tasked with executing arrest warrants, including those stemming from contempt cases.

However, the judge’s comment implied a lack of faith that the police would take action against their own chief if such an order were issued.

In search of a resolution, Justice Nyako offered the IGP’s lawyer two alternatives. The first was to allow the contempt proceedings to proceed since “the IGP did not adhere to the court order.” The second was for all involved parties to convene in her chambers “to discuss how to address the issue and propose a solution,” which would be followed by a formal communication of the agreed resolutions to the Attorney General of the Federation.

Mrs. Anozie was among thousands of Nigerians who appeared before such panels in Abuja and in at least 29 of Nigeria’s 36 states. However, reports indicated that her case remained unresolved, primarily due to the police’s lack of cooperation with the panels.

In a motion filed on December 11 of the previous year, Mrs. Anozie accused Mr. Egbetokun of deliberately disobeying the September 2025 ruling that mandated the production of the officers involved in her husband’s abduction and disappearance.

After the IGP failed to comply with the order for over a month, Mrs. Anozie, through her attorney, initiated contempt proceedings by issuing Form 48, formally known as the Notice of Consequences of Disobedience to Court Order. This notice warns an alleged contemnor to comply with a court order or face punitive measures.

When the police still did not act, Mrs. Anozie proceeded with Form 49, the Notice of Committal to Correctional Centre, which requires an alleged contemnor to appear before the court and explain why they should not be imprisoned for contempt.

An affidavit supporting the motion stated that the IGP had been served with both Forms 48 and 49 but still failed to follow the court’s orders.

In her application, Mrs. Anozie requested the court to imprison the IGP, arguing that he was not only a party to the case that resulted in the judgment but also the head of the police force responsible for enforcing court orders.

The motion specifically requested the court to commit “the IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, to Kuje prison in Abuja for contempt until he purges himself of the contempt/disobedience of the order of this honorable court.”

However, Justice Nyako’s suggestion for an out-of-court resolution on Tuesday indicates that the contempt proceedings may be temporarily halted, pending the results of the upcoming meeting in her chambers.

(Source: SaharaReporters)