The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed February 9 to hear contempt proceedings against the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, over his continued refusal to obey orders of the Court on the abduction and disappearance of a man, John Chukwuemeka Anozie.

Lawyer to Anozie’s wife, Vincent Adodo, has initiated contempt proceedings against the IGP, accusing him of persistent disobedience to a subsisting court judgment directing the prosecution of former Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operatives allegedly responsible for Anozie’s abduction from his Lekki residence in Lagos in June 2017.

Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja had, on September 24, 2025, delivered judgment in a Freedom of Information (FOI) suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/865/2025, filed by Mrs Nnenna Anozie against the Police chief, wherein the court compelled the IGP, who failed to enter a defence, to produce prosecution officers of the defunct SARS unit from Akwuzu, Anambra State, accused of abducting Anozie on June 15, 2017.

The court also awarded N2,000,000 damages against the IGP for failing to respond to requests by Anozie’s wife for investigation reports relating to the case.

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Additionally, the IGP was ordered to forward the report of investigation conducted by the Force Headquarters, alongside the legal opinion recommending prosecution of the officers, to the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.

The judge held that the police authorities had refused to prosecute the officers “despite a legal opinion issued by the police legal department recommending their prosecution for the criminal acts.”

The officers listed In the judgment include: ASP Anthony Obiozor Ikechukwu; Sgt. Uzochukwu Emeana; John Eze; Oriole (aka T-Boy) and SP Sunday Okpe.

Despite being served with the judgment order since October 2025, the IGP has neither complied with the directive to prosecute the officers nor paid the N2 million damages awarded to Anozie’s wife.

Consequently, Adodo caused the issuance and service of Form 48 – “Notice of Consequences of Disobedience to Court Order” and Form 49 – “Notice of Committal to Correctional Centre” on the IGP

Court documents show that Anozie, through her lawyer, has now filed a motion seeking to commit Egbetokun to prison for contempt until he purges himself by obeying the court’s orders.

The Form 49 Issued by the court states that the IGP is to “show cause why an order to commit you to prison/correctional centre should not be made” for disobeying the judgment delivered on September 24, 2025.

According to the notice, the court ordered the IGP to release certified true copies of investigation reports, the 2017 X-Squad case file on Anozie’s disappearance, and the legal opinion issued by the police legal department.

The court also directed the immediate transmission of the case file to the Attorney General of the Federation and the handover of the indicted officers for prosecution. (Nigerian Tribune)

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