Businesswoman accuses husband of brutalising, detaining her over alleged debt
By Jeffrey Agbo
A businesswoman, Joy Smart-Chinenye, has revealed how she was allegedly arrested, brutalised, tortured and detained by monitoring unit personnel of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) Headquarters, based on a petition filed by her husband, George Smart Unaegbu, over alleged debt to him.
The incident which took place on Sunday (Mother’s Day) was said to have elicited condemnation from members of the public.
Her explanation was contained in a statement released by her lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, titled, “Betrayed, Tortured, and Extorted – My Husband’s Cruelty Knows No Bounds” obtained by journalists in Abuja.
Ejiofor, also lawyer to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), had in his reaction to the police brutality, described the action of the police as unconstitutional.
According to him, Section 4 of the Nigeria Police Act clearly outlines the duties of the NPF, making no provision for debt recovery.
Mrs Smart-Chinenye said, “As I write this, I am in severe agony, tears, and unbearable pain. While mothers across the world celebrated Mothering Sunday, my own husband, the man I once loved and supported, threw me into Abattoir-SARS detention in Abuja – a facility notorious for holding condemned criminals, kidnappers and terrorists.
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“This is the same man I met when he was just a classroom teacher. I stood by him, fed him, supported him financially and watched as God elevated him to a multi-billionaire. But how did he repay me? By having me brutalized, arrested, and locked away in one of the most dreaded cells in the country.
“Despite my unwavering fidelity and loyalty throughout our marriage, he has slept with both single and married women, exposing me to multiple infections. I have endured humiliation and betrayal in silence, keeping our marital issues out of the public eye, yet he continues to find ways to destroy me.
“This time, his weapon was the Nigeria Police Force. He manipulated them into arresting me over an alleged debt – a personal, civil matter that should have been settled in court, not through police brutality. On March 27, 2025, officers stormed our home, forcibly took me away in front of our children, and detained me at FCID Annex, Panti, Lagos, where I was tortured and coerced into transferring ₦5 million to an account they provided.
“When I could not meet his remaining demands, I was forcefully transported to Abuja, where I was detained at Abattoir, enduring further abuse, torture and extortion.
“I was repeatedly taken from the SARS detention cell at night to unknown locations, where I was subjected to intense coercion and intimidation. These harrowing experiences continued until the timely intervention of Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor ( I. C. Ejiofor Chambers), whose relentless legal efforts finally secured my release in the wee hours of last night. But the scars – both physical and emotional – remain.
“I can no longer stay silent. In due course, I will grant a press release and expose the full truth about Obinna George Smart Unaegbu. The world deserves to know.”
