By TAIYE AGBAJE

Lovelyn, the widow of slain Lagos-based businessman, Chief Lucky Adimike, has sued the Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Olatunji Disu, and the FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, over alleged unlawful detention.

The 53-year-old woman, alongside her detained children, filed the suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja through their lawyer, Chibuzor Obiajunwa.

The applicants, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1149/2026, sought their immediate release from police custody.

Lovelyn, Anthony Odirachukwumma Adimike, Stephanie Chinyere Adimike and Comfort Ajibade, who are 1st to 4th applicants, had sued the police, I-G and the FCT police commissioner as 1st to 4th respondents respectively.

They named the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, as 4th respondent in the suit marked:

Although Lovelyn, the 1st applicant, is not in detention, her two children, Anthony and Stephanie, including Comfort, a friend to her daughter, had been in police custody after the death of her husband, Chief Adimike, was discovered on May 15.

They were alleged to be in detention at the FCT Intelligence Response Team (IRT) detention facility, formerly called, Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Headquarters, Behind Area 3 Police Station, Gudu District, Abuja.

The applicants, in the fundamental rights enforcement suit dated June 2 but filed on June 3, prayed the court to stop forthwith the violation of their rights to life, dignity of their human persons, personal liberty, freedom of movement, among others.

They sought an order directing the I-G and the commissioner to charge all of them or anyone of them before appropriate court if the police investigation established a prima facie case against them or any of the affected applicants.

They also urged the court to thereafter order the police to transmit the original copy of the police investigation case file to the AGF and Minister of Justice, Mr Fagbemi, for a legal opinion and necessary administrative action.

In the affidavit in support of the originating motion on notice deposed to by Lovelyn, she said she had been married to the late Adimike for almost 25 years and that the marriage had produced four children.

Lovelyn said her husband, a businessman, became interested in property business in Abuja in the year 2016.

According to her, his new business interest started bringing him regularly to Abuja from Lagos where they are based as a family.

She said while Anthony, 23, was posted to Abuja for his national youth service after graduation, Stephanie, 20, who is also in university, came to Abuja for her industrial training.

She said this prompted her late husband to rent a house in Guzape, Abuja where they would be living and where he would also be staying with them whenever he came to Abuja.

“On 11th May, 2026 my husband travelled to Abuja while I remained in Lagos.

“On 13th May, 2026, my husband expressed an interest that he wanted the 2nd and 3rd applicants to cook stew and soup for him.

“On the basis of that, I sent a list of ingredients to my daughter, the 3rd applicant.”

The woman averred that on May 14, Stephanie duly bought all the ingredients as instructed and she and Anthony cooked the soup and stew that evening.

“My late husband, who was present in the kitchen, duly made a video of the cooking by our children and proudly shared it on our nuclear family platform. known as ‘Lucky Adimike Family.”

“That night, after my husband, Chief Godwin Chinedu Lucky Adimike, went to bed, one of my daughter’s friends by name Comfort Ajibade, the 4th applicant came over to the house.

“The 2nd, 3rd and 4th applicants drove out for a night outing that night as they were previously used to doing whenever the 2nd and 3rd applicants were in the house on their own.

“The next day, my children went about their business as usual without knowing that their father had been killed in his bedroom.

“It was me who continued to call him (my husband) but up to 11am of 15th May, 2026, he was yet to respond to me.

“Worried, I called the 2nd applicant (Anthony) who I instructed to immediately return to the house and open his father’s bedroom door.

“On his return to the house, he opened the bedroom door and found his father prone and lifeless. The screenshot of my call log showing the call is attached as Exhibit A7,” she narrated.

Lovelyn said on learning about what had happened, she instructed Anthony to report the matter to the police.

“The 2nd applicant went to report the matter at the Guzape Village Police Station.

“The police came back with him and took custody of the bodily remains of his father.

“The corpse was deposited at the Karu General Hospital, Karu.

“The 2nd applicant was then arrested. In due course her sister and her friend (Comfort), the 4th applicant were also arrested.”

She said on being informed about what had happened, that same day she called one of her husband’s brothers and told him what had happened.

She said the deceased’s brother arrived in Abuja on May 16, shortly before her own arrival.

“Upon his arrival, he proceeded with his entourage to see my husband’s corpse at the Karu General Hospital.

“The naked corpse of my husband was brought out for them on a pallet.

“Shortly after he (name withheld) and his entourage were allowed to see the naked corpse of my husband on the pallet, that exact sight of my husband’s corpse lying naked on the pallet became available on the internet and went viral.

“A print-out of the picture currently on the internet is attached and marked as Exhibit A9,” she alleged.

According her, from that point on, my husband’s death became the subject of a frenzy of social media rumours, speculation and publications all of which accused my son, the 2nd applicant, of having stabbed his father to death with a knife.

Lovelyn, however, said contrary to rumour going the round, her husband was shot, citing the alleged bullet holes on his chest.

“Having severally viewed the corpse of my late husband, I am aware that he has four gunshot wounds on the lower left chest which I am convinced is likely to have been the cause of his death.

“The document attached as Exhibit A8 bears me out.

“After I had seen the corpse of my husband, his bodily remains were subsequently moved from Karu General Hospital to the National Hospital, Abuja on Thursday, 21st May, 2026,” she deposed.

Lovelyn alleged that while the autopsy was about to be carried out under police supervision, she could not withstand the medical procedure, hence, she appointed a representative.

“I was too distressed to witness it, so I left the room where the autopsy was being carried out.

“As soon as I left the room, the police ordered my sister, Nelly Chinenye Ejike Okafor, who had been in the room as my representative out of the room.

“That was how the autopsy was carried out behind my back,” she alleged.

She said it was on these grounds that the suit to enforce their rights was instituted.

Lovelyn equally said that if not compelled by the court, the AGF, who is the the 4th respondent, may not exercise the power of his office to stop the police alleged violation of their fundamental rights.

“While I am in Abuja mourning my husband, on Tuesday last week, unknown persons went to our house at Lagos and sought to compel our gatemen to open the gate so that they will take away our cars parked at the premises.

“They said that they were sent by my late husband’s brothers but the gatemen refused them entry,” Lovelyn said, among other allegations.

She further disclosed on oath that while her husband still lies dead at the morgue, his siblings allegedly sent out a caveat online over his properties, shops and his debtors.

Lovelyn insisted that her husband was shot dead “from a gun that had been fitted with a silencer to prevent the entire neighbourhood from hearing the gun when it was being fired in the silence of that night.”

“Having seen my husband’s corpse, I believe that contrary to stories being peddled that my husband had been stabbed to death, my husband had been shot dead. (NAN)

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