RULAAC blasts police for arrest of widow, Chioma Ashimedua, after family dispute over late husband’s property in Rivers
By Ishaya Ibrahim
Rogue operatives of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the Rivers State Police command have been accused of arresting a grieving widow, Chioma Ashimedua less than two months after her husband died. The reason for her arrest was said to be a land dispute with her step son.
The policemen were said to have stormed into Imo State, and whisked away the widow to Port Harcourt, Rivers State without following police operational protocol of inter-state arrest, neither were they with warrant.
The arrest of the widow, a mother of four, has left her children, all of whom are below 14 years in distress.
In reaction to the police involvement in the civil matter which has resulted in the violation of the widow’s fundamental rights, the Rule of Law Accountability and Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has waded in, urging the commissioner of police of Rivers State Police Command to call his men to order.
RULAAC asked the Rivers police commissioner to take immediate action in remedying the situation, otherwise it would escalate the complaints to the Police Service Commission and other agencies with oversight functions over the police.
The letter reads: “The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) writes with grave concern over the unlawful arrest, continued detention, and humiliation of Mrs. Chioma Ashimedua, a vulnerable widow and mother of four minor sons, presently held in detention by operatives of the Rivers State Police Command at the State CID (Admin Office Unit) in Port Harcourt.
“Mrs. Chioma, an indigene of Ezinihitte Mbaise LGA in Imo State, was married – both traditionally and legally – to the late Mr. Hypolite Bright Ojeashi, a Delta State native, who died on May 5, 2025. His burial is scheduled for August 2, 2025, in Ibusa, Delta State.
“On July 24, 2025, Chioma was forcefully arrested from her residence in Obinze, Imo State, and whisked away to Port Harcourt, without a warrant, without due inter-state police protocol, and without prior invitation. Since her arrest, she has been denied bail, and left incommunicado at the Rivers State CID. Her four minor sons – aged 14, 12, 10, and 8 – were left alone and without care in her home in Owerri.
“The basis of her arrest, as belatedly communicated by the police, is a petition alleging she intended to sell a property in Port Harcourt that belonged to her late husband. She has categorically denied this allegation, asserting that she has no intention of selling any property but only insisted that burial rites must be concluded before any property discussions. This is a reasonable and lawful position consistent with custom and decency.
“We are deeply troubled by the following facts:
1. The continued harassment of Chioma by her late husband’s family, especially Mr. Ndubuisi Ojeashi, the deceased’s eldest son, who is alleged to have instigated this arrest after repeated efforts to coerce the widow into surrendering documents failed.
2. At the Rivers State CID, the Deputy Commissioner allegedly told her lawyer that Chioma would not be released unless she sends (“waybills”) the property documents to the police station, which is both unlawful and an abuse of police power. The Nigeria Police Force has no legal jurisdiction to collect, keep, or demand private property documents in a civil dispute.
3. Even more alarming is the information that the police intend to obtain a remand order to detain her in prison custody, despite the ongoing court recess, thereby prolonging her suffering and placing her minor children in further jeopardy.
“This situation reflects a gross violation of her fundamental human rights under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), including:
*Section 35: Right to personal liberty
*Section 34: Right to the dignity of the human person
*Section 42: Freedom from discrimination
*Section 36: Right to fair hearing
Provisions under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, which protects widows from abuse and deprivation.
“Additionally, her arrest across state lines without due process violates established legal procedures and constitutes an unlawful detention and abuse of inter-agency cooperation. Her continued incarceration is not only a humanitarian crisis but also a blight on the image of the Nigeria Police Force.
“RULAAC hereby demands the following:
1. Immediate and unconditional release of Mrs. Chioma Ashimedua from unlawful detention;
2. An internal investigation into the conduct of officers involved in the arrest and continued detention;
3. Protective intervention to ensure she and her minor children are safe from further harassment and intimidation;
4. Disciplinary action against any officer found to be colluding in this misuse of police authority for private vendetta;
5. A clear directive from your office that the Police Force will not act as an executor of civil disputes or a tool of cultural oppression.
“If Mrs. Chioma has committed any crime, due process should be followed – not extrajudicial detention, humiliation, or blackmail.
“We are monitoring this case closely and will escalate it to the Police Service Commission, National Human Rights Commission, and international partners if necessary.”
