A heavily pregnant woman, her husband and her two children, aged four and two, have allegedly been whisked away from their home by armed vigilante operatives in Nnewi, Anambra State.
The victims identified as Ikwo Daniel, Ikwo Chinenye, and their two children, Ikwo Chizaram (4) and Ikwo Chidiogo (2), were reportedly taken by operatives believed to be affiliated with the Udogachi Command in Awka.
The incident occurred in the early hours of May 30, 2025, at Eme Court Road, Umudim Nnewi, where the family resides. According to reports, the operatives stormed the residence and took all four without any formal identification or explanation.
In a petition addressed to the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, the family’s legal representatives, Jack Iyioku & Co. On Friday, it described the arrest as “arbitral” and a gross violation of human rights.
“It is our instruction that at the wee hour of 30th day of May, 2025, the residence of our clients was stormed by armed men who were later discovered to be operatives of Udogachi.
“They never introduced themselves as security operatives and, more strange to their operation, was leaving the residence with a heavily pregnant woman and two-year- and four-year-old kids.”- The petition reads
Following the incident, the family reportedly conducted an immediate search across all police stations within and outside Nnewi. However, officers at every location denied any knowledge of the arrest.
“Their search yielded no result as police always informed that such an arrest is strange and no reasonable police officer on lawful duty will arrest a heavily pregnant woman and her two toddlers… even if their father had committed any offense of whatever magnitude,” the petition stated.
The trail eventually led the relatives to the Udogachi Command at Lion House, Agu Awka, where, on June 18, they reportedly saw Mrs. Ikwo Chinenye and her two children in one of the upper rooms of the facility. While brief greetings were exchanged, the visitors were not allowed close contact with the detainees.
The petition further alleged that the vigilante operatives demanded money from the relatives for feeding the detainees and asked them to return the following day. When a lawyer from the firm accompanied the family back to the facility on June 19, they were again denied access. Ikwo Daniel, the husband and father, was not seen during either visit.
“We are writing to urgently request your intervention regarding the detention of our clients as their continued confinement poses serious risks to their health, safety, and basic human rights.
“We respectfully urge your office to investigate this matter immediately and ensure their safe release.”-The firm appealed.
The legal team urged the Anambra State Commissioner of Police to launch a discreet investigation into the incident and determine why a pregnant woman and her children could be detained for over 20 days without formal charges.
The Anambra State Police Command has also not released any official statement on the matter.
