Alfred Friday’s ordeal: Charged with terrorism, IPOB membership after family defies police threat not to involve RULAAC, media
By Ishaya Ibrahim
On the evening of June 26th, the anti-kidnapping unit of the Enugu State Police Command stormed the Lagos home of Eme Alfred Friday, beginning a harrowing ordeal for him and his family. For more than a week, his family frantically searched for him, with no information on his whereabouts from the police. They only learned he was being held in Enugu after an officer, out of kindness, secretly allowed him to make a brief phone call.
Meanwhile, in Lagos, the family contacted a deputy police commissioner for help. He instructed them to reimburse the police team that made the arrest N200,000, another N100,000 for his own involvement, and N50,000 for a police officer to follow up on the case. The family paid the total of N350,000, plus an additional N6,000 for toiletries, which the police claimed Alfred Friday had used.
Yet, the case was still going nowhere, as the police were not forthcoming with information about Alfred Friday’s offence, nor were they allowed to see him.
Upon learning of the ordeal of Alfred Friday and his family, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) immediately filed a petition with the Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa. The petition demanded Alfred Friday’s immediate release or his formal arraignment in court if an offence had been committed.
This action triggered an uproar. According to Alfred Friday’s brother, Sunday Eme, the family began receiving threats from the police to withdraw the petition and pull down media reports. If they did not comply, the police threatened to charge Alfred Friday with terrorism. They defied the police. The anti-kidnapping unit then came through with the threat, filed charges of terrorism financing against Alfred Friday. The transaction flagged was a transfer of N7,500 that he had made in two batches (N3,500 and N4,000) to a man from his community whom he said had asked him for financial assistance.
In a press briefing attended by family members of Alfred Friday, RULAAC’s executive director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said the charge of terrorism financing against Alfred Friday was motivated by vengeance, greed and corruption.
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Here is the text of his statement at the briefing.
“One of the most insidious tactics in Nigeria’s law enforcement culture is the use of framed or trumped-up charges. This practice is not motivated by justice but by greed, vengeance, corruption, intimidation, and control. Police officers fabricate allegations of armed robbery, cultism, kidnapping, terrorism, or membership of proscribed groups – not to fight crime, but to victimize or terrify victims and extort bribes.
“The goal is simple: to raise the stakes. Once the accused is branded a kidnapper, terrorist, or IPOB member, their chances of escaping prolonged detention, torture, or even extrajudicial execution depend on how much they can pay. In many cases, the scheme is sponsored by private interests – business rivals, political opponents, or vindictive individuals – who pay the police to ‘deal with’ or “handle” their adversaries. Thus, the criminal justice system becomes a weapon for settling scores.
“This pattern of abuse is not new. It is deeply entrenched, eroding public trust in law enforcement, undermining justice, and entrenching impunity. Today, we draw attention to a case that tragically exemplifies this problem: the ordeal of Mr. Eme Alfred Friday.
The Ordeal of Alfred Friday
“On June 26, 2025, armed operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Enugu State Police Command – travelling all the way from Enugu to Lagos – stormed Mr. Friday’s Lagos residence. He was arrested without warrant, in front of his terrified wife, and taken away. For days, his family searched in anguish. Police denied knowledge of his whereabouts until a covert call from him revealed he was being held in Enugu – yet even then, the Unit brazenly denied his detention.
“This concealment, denial of access to his family or legal counsel, and prolonged secret detention without charge constitute enforced disappearance, a grave violation of Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees liberty and arraignment within 48 hours. Mr. Friday was held unlawfully and incommunicado for over a month.
“When his plight came to RULAAC’s attention, and was publicised, the police did not respond by following due process but by retaliating. They threatened his wife, warning her to stop the “publicity or her husband would be charged. His lawyer was obstructed, intimidated, and accused of “reporting back to RULAAC.” Instead of transparency, the police doubled down on secrecy and fear.
“Eventually, Mr. Friday was arraigned – not in pursuit of justice, but in retaliation. He was slammed with bogus charges, falsely labelled an IPOB member, and linked to fabricated offences. To frustrate his defence, police and court officials colluded to deny his lawyer timely access to the charge sheet. The judiciary, instead of checking abuse, became complicit in it.
Not an Isolated Case
“Mr. Friday’s ordeal mirrors countless others. Jude Nwoye Anokwu, abducted over a land dispute and falsely branded IPOB. Operatives from Zone 2 Police Command in Lagos, hired by Jude’s kinsman resident in Lagos, went all the way from Lagos to Anambra, outside jurisdiction, abducted Jude and drove him down to Lagos.
“Gloria Okolie, turned into a domestic slave in the custody of the IRT from Owerri to Abuja despite court orders in her favour.
“Thaddeus Ojokoh, nearly executed at Tiger Base, Owerri Imo State for an offence allegedly committed while already in custody.
“Across the South-East and beyond, the IPOB label has become a convenient weapon – used to justify arbitrary arrests, torture, extortion, and malicious prosecutions.
Systemic Failure
“This is not about a few bad officers. It is a systemic failure marked by:
“Criminal policing: Anti-Kidnapping Units and FCID formations acting like predator gangs, abducting citizens for ransom under the cover of law.
“Weaponization of courts: Collusion with court officials to obstruct justice and punish victims who seek redress.
“Institutional silence: Complaints to the Enugu Commissioner of Police and the Inspector General went unanswered. The Police Service Commission acknowledged the complaint but failed to act.
“Breakdown of oversight: Internal discipline is weak; external oversight by the PSC, Ministry of Police Affairs, and NHRC remains ineffective.
Our Demands
“Accountability: Immediate investigation, suspension, and prosecution of officers of the Enugu Anti-Kidnapping Unit, including Supol John Ilia, for abduction, torture, and malicious prosecution.
“Restitution: Mr. Friday must be freed from bogus charges, compensated for unlawful detention, and publicly cleared of false allegations.
“Reform: Overhaul of Anti-Kidnapping Units with civilian oversight to dismantle their culture of abuse.
“Judicial responsibility: Sanction magistrates and court officials who collude in obstructing justice.
“Enforcement of court orders: The Attorney General must enforce compliance with existing rulings in similar cases.
Conclusion
“The case of Alfred Friday is a tragic reminder of how far Nigeria’s policing system has derailed. If police can abduct a citizen, conceal his whereabouts, threaten his family, intimidate his lawyer, fabricate charges, and collude with courts – all with impunity – then no Nigerian is safe.
“This is not democracy; it is lawlessness in uniform. Civil society, the media, and the Nigerian public must resist this descent into authoritarian policing. The Nigeria Police must return to its constitutional role of protection, not predation.
“Until that happens, cases like Mr. Friday’s will continue to remind us that Nigeria is a country at war with its own people.”
