Judge Threatens to Order Army to Arrest IGP Over Disobedience in Missing Man’s Case

​ABUJA – In a dramatic escalation of legal hostilities, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a stern warning to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, stating she may be compelled to order the Nigerian Army to effect his arrest. The warning follows the IGP’s repeated failure to comply with court orders regarding the 2017 “abduction” and subsequent disappearance of a Lagos businessman, Mr. John Anozie.

​The ultimatum was delivered during a hearing on Tuesday concerning contempt proceedings initiated by the victim’s wife, Mrs. Nnenna Anozie. Mrs. Anozie has spent nearly nine years navigating a labyrinth of judicial panels and courtrooms to discover the fate of her husband, who was reportedly seized from their Lekki residence in June 2017 by operatives of the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) from Akwuzu, Anambra State.

​A Pattern of Defiance

​According to court records, the police had previously claimed Mr. Anozie died in custody during interrogation but have failed to produce his body or provide a formal account of the circumstances. In September 2025, Justice Nyako ordered the IGP to produce the implicated officers—identified as Anthony Obiozor Ikechukwu, Uzochukwu Emeana, John Eze, and an operative known as “T-Boy”—for prosecution. The court also awarded ₦2 million in damages against the police for ignoring Freedom of Information requests related to the case.

​Despite these orders, the police leadership has remained non-compliant, prompting Mrs. Anozie’s legal team to file Form 48 (Notice of Consequences of Disobedience) and Form 49 (Notice of Committal to Correctional Centre).

​The Judge’s Ultimatum

​During Tuesday’s proceedings, the IGP’s counsel, Stanley Nwodo, argued there was “confusion” regarding the identities of the officers involved. Justice Nyako dismissed the claim, interjecting, “That is not the point because there is a judgment.”

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​Signaling a rare breakdown in inter-agency protocol, Justice Nyako declared that if a committal order were signed, she would bypass the police entirely.

​”I will ask the Chief of Army Staff to arrest him. I will not ask the police to do so,” the judge stated, implying that the police force could not be trusted to arrest its own chief.

​A Relentless Pursuit of Truth

​Mrs. Anozie, who traveled from Lagos to Abuja for the hearing, has been a prominent face of the #EndSARS struggle for accountability. Her husband was 43 at the time of his abduction; five armed men in plain clothes reportedly stormed their home, seizing cash, SUVs, and family passports before driving him away.

​Justice Nyako has offered the IGP a final window for an “amicable resolution” by inviting all parties to a meeting in her chambers. The outcome of this meeting will determine whether the court proceeds with jailing the IGP at the Kuje Correctional Centre or if the police will finally surrender the indicted officers to the Attorney General of the Federation.