Nine years after Chukwuemeka John Anozie allegedly disappeared after being taken from his family home in Lekki, Lagos, his wife, Mrs Nnenna John-Anozie, has renewed calls for the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant authorities to account for his whereabouts and allow the law to take its course.
John-Anozie alleged that her husband was taken from their residence on June 15, 2017, and has not been seen since, leaving the family without a definitive explanation of what happened to him.
In a statement issued on Sunday, she alleged that a police officer identified as Sgt. Emeana Uzochukwu made a disturbing remark while leaving the residence with her husband, allegedly telling her to find someone to manage his business because she would never see him again.
She further alleged that the officer warned her against going to court or engaging a lawyer, claiming that neither the courts nor anyone else could do anything about the matter.
Nine years on, the wife said the central question remains unanswered: What happened to Chukwuemeka John Anozie?
According to her, the alleged statement by the police officer raises serious questions about the circumstances surrounding her husband’s disappearance and whether those involved believed they could evade institutional and legal accountability.
John-Anozie has consequently called for Sgt. Uzochukwu and Anthony Obiozor Ikechukwu, whom she identified as principal suspects, to be made available to the appropriate authorities for investigation and determination of the allegations against them in accordance with the law.
She stressed that the family was not seeking conviction outside the judicial process, but wanted the evidence examined and the appropriate legal procedures allowed to run their course.
“If there is evidence supporting prosecution, the matter should proceed,” she said, insisting that the family was asking for neither special treatment nor conviction without trial.
She also urged the police authorities not to become an obstacle between the evidence and prosecutorial authorities, arguing that the institution should not stand between the family and the truth or between the courts and the enforcement of lawful orders.
The renewed demand comes amid the family’s claim that the case file has been transmitted to the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
John-Anozie said the reported transmission of the case file to the Attorney-General should not bring the matter to a halt. She urged the relevant authorities to examine the available evidence, determine whether it warrants prosecution and, where appropriate, institute proceedings before a competent court.
She also called for compliance with any court orders issued in connection with the case, stressing that nine years of delay should not be allowed to become a substitute for obedience to the rule of law.
Beyond prosecution, the family is demanding access to the outcome of investigations into the disappearance, including relevant investigation reports, findings and legal decisions through the appropriate channels.
The wife also demanded an explanation for what she described as the prolonged delay in resolving a case involving the disappearance of a Nigerian citizen.
She questioned where responsibility lies for any alleged failure to act, comply with lawful orders or advance the investigation and prosecution process.
At the heart of her appeal, she said, is the broader principle of institutional accountability.
She argued that allegations of serious wrongdoing against police officers should be subjected to transparent investigation and, where warranted, prosecution rather than shielded by institutional loyalty.
“The appropriate authorities must allow the evidence, the law and the courts—not institutional loyalty—to determine the outcome,” she said.
For the family, however, the most painful issue remains the unresolved question of what happened to Anozie after he was allegedly taken away in 2017.
His wife’s account of the warning allegedly issued by the police officer has added another dimension to the case, particularly as the family says it has yet to receive a definitive account of his fate nine years later.
She is therefore calling for the principal suspects to be presented before the appropriate authorities, the evidence thoroughly examined, the Attorney-General to exercise the prosecutorial responsibilities of that office where warranted, and the courts to determine guilt or innocence.
Above all, the family wants an answer to the question that has remained unresolved since 2017: what happened to Chukwuemeka John Anozie? “Nine years is long enough,” she said.
