•He’s innocent, release him immediately, Intersociety tells Gov Soludo

An Anambra business tycoon arrested on trumped-up charges is languishing in detention without trial five months after his ordeal began.

The man, Chief Udoka Ejimu has been detained for more than 150 days or five months at the State CID Annex or “Awkuzu Police SARS” in Awkuzu, Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State, according to foremost rights group, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety).

The Onitsha, Anambra-based rights group in a recent Special Guide Letter to the Anambra State Executive Council called for the immediate and unconditional release of Chief Udoka Ejimu, including his discharge and acquittal, declaring him innocent. Intersociety seriously frowned “at such “Police State captivity” which is nothing short of grave violation of Section 35 (4) of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution under “Fundamental Human Right to Personal Liberty” and allied others provided in the country’s Regional and International Human Rights Treaty Laws including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1976-ICCPR (signed and ratified by Nigeria in 1993) and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights of 1981-ACHPR (signed, ratified and domesticated by Nigeria in 1983).” According to it, “The above is more so when the Constitutional Section 35 (4) places 60 days detention limits for any citizen accused by the detaining authority strictly at ensuring continuation and conclusion of investigations into criminal offenses bordering on severe punishments including 20 years imprisonment to life jail or above. In the event such citizen is continued to be detained after two months without police administrative bail or proper court trial, the Section directs that he or she shall be released unconditionally including being discharged and acquitted. In other words, such citizen can no longer be detained since he or she has no case to answer under any written criminal law in Nigeria or any part thereof including Anambra State of Nigeria.”

Giving the background to the ordeal of the businessman, Intersociety said: “It is recalled that Chief Udoka Ejimu (AG Udoka) is an Enugu-born multimillionaire and successful old motor spare parts dealer in Onitsha and CEO of the Udoka Golden Point and Suites (Hotel) Limited, Oba in Idemmili South Local Government Area of Anambra State. His multi-storey hotel building was bulldozed around January 27, 2025 without proper and conclusive investigations by the Prof Charles Soludo-led Government of Anambra State. The operation was coordinated by Governor Soludo’s Agunaechemba/Udo Gachi security outfit operationally led by Prince Kenneth Emeakai, the Governor’s Special Adviser on Community Security. Chief Udoka Ejimu and his Hotel facility were bulldozed, after which the State Government claimed that it “demolished the Hotel following discovery of over 30 human graves at the top decking of the Hotel”. The Government of Anambra State further accused the Hotel CEO of “using his hotel facilities for ritualism and kidnappings and harboring violent criminals including ritualists, kidnappers and armed robbers”. It was later discovered following our investigations that the said “human graves” were partitioned bricks used by the former owner of the Hotel for the hotel’s bar fishpond barbecue. Further discovered was the fact that the hotel facility was bought from the former owner, an indigene of Oba who later went back with his gang to the new owner, demanding that the facility must be repurchased from him as first the transaction was done on “give away price”; a demand strongly rejected by the former, leading to the new owner and his hotel facility being framed up using the Agunaechemba/Udo Gachi security outfit under Prince Ken Emeakai as operational head.

“Our further investigation also revealed that Chief Udoka Ejimu was arrested since January 25, 2025 by the dreaded operatives of the Awkuzu Police SARS at the alleged instance of Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State and has been held without trial for more than 150 days, three months more than constitutionally permitted in the case of arrested and detained alleged felon. Having spoken with him severally from his detention, we spoke with Chief Udoka Ejimu again in the morning of Saturday, June 14, 2025 and he restated his earlier stance regarding the facts of the matter as follows: The hotel has never been involved in kidnapping. Those things they are calling graves were partitioned fishponds. I bought the property from the original owner, who constructed it as it is, and the top floor was converted into a fishpond before I acquired it. The fishpond was designed to allow easy oversight of the fish and for them to be used at the hotel’s bar for barbecue. Since I purchased the property, some interested parties have been upset and wanted to revoke its sale. When that failed, they started manufacturing troubles for me. I’m a legitimate businessman who deals in motor parts, land and property. You can enquire from the traders in the community.”

The 11-Page Special Guide Letter dated Thursday, June 19, 2025, alleged the arbitrary arrest and detention of “thousands of defenseless citizens” by the Soludo administration in the guise of fighting crime and criminality, including suspected promoters of money rituals.

The letter was titled, “A Special Guide For Protection And Preservation Of Ancient Communal Deities And Allied Traditional Institutions, Their Chief Priests Or Custodians In Anambra State And Specific Strong Call For Protection Of 600-Year-Old Udo-Orie Uga Deity And Her Chief Priest In Accordance With International Freedom Of Religion Or Worship Or Belief-Pursuant To Section 38 Of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, Article 18 Of UDHR (1948), Article 18 Of ICCPR (1976) And Article 8 Of ACHPR (1981).”

Among the recipients of the Special Guide Letter were Governor Charles Soludo (with a forwarding letter), State Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon Somtochukwu Udeze, PhD., Attorney General of the State, Prof Sylvia Chika Ifemeje, Anambra CP, Ikioye Orutugu, Anambra DSS Director, Victor Akeh, Commissioner For Information, Dr. Law Mefor, Governor’s Special Adviser on Security, Retired AVM Ben Chiobi, Commissioner for Culture, Entertainment and Tourism, Hon Don Onyenji, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon Tony Collins Nwabunwanne, Governor’s Special Adviser on Community Security, Prince Kenneth Emeakai, Aguata Area Commander, ACP Albert Dike, the Okapala-Eze-Nri/Oba Agbalanze N’ Nri, Prince Chukwuemeka Onyeso, Regent of the Nri Kingdom, Prince Ikenna Onyeso, the Obi of Uga, Igwe Chidi Ezenwugo, President General of Uga Improvement Union, Nze Romanus Umunze, Commander of the Uga Central Vigilante Group, Chikwado Umuakunne, Chairman, Umueze Uga Village Meeting, Anthony Ezenwa, Chairman, Orie Uga Market/Oka Uga Village Meeting, Williams Umendiego, Chairman, Awarasi Uga Village Meeting, Stephen Obiabaka and Chairman, Umuoru Uga Village Meeting, Nnanaemere.