A former commissioner in Imo State, Dr. Fabian Ihekweme, has written to his erstwhile boss, Governor Hope Uzodinma, through his lawyers, demanding public apology and Ten Billion Naira for illegal detention and torture.

Dr. Ihekweme, who served as one of Uzodimma’s commissioners during his first tenure in office, is specifically demanding “open apologies from the governor which must be published in two national dailies and a compensation to the tune of Ten Billion Naira only (10,000,000,000) for unlawful detention, torture and gross violation of his rights to dignity of human person, personal liberty, fair hearing and freedom of movement as guaranteed under section 34, 35, 36 and 41 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).”

A Federal High Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and presided over by Hono. Justice Y Halilu, had on January 30, 2025 ordered the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Ihekweme from police custody where he was kept for 62 days in solitary confinement, allegedly on the orders of Governor Uzodimma.

The court also granted a perpetual injunction restraining “the Inspector General of Police, the Nigerian Police Force, their authorized agents and any other body by whatever name so called, from further disturbing, or interfering with the rights of Dr. Fabian Ihekweme to dignity of human person, liberty and freedom of movement by any further arrest, detention, intimidation and harassment or in any way infringing on his constitutional rights as guaranteed under the constitution.”

Anxiety had initially surrounded Dr. Ihekweme’s disappearance but the Imo State Police Command cleared the air in late November, announcing that the one-time state Commissioner for Foreign Affairs was arrested over alleged seditious and inflammatory publications against Governor Uzodimma. It disclosed that his arrest followed a petition brought against him by a group, the Imo Democratic Alliance (IDA).