The family of Mr. Eme Friday, backed by the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), has demanded urgent investigation, suspension, and prosecution of operatives of the Enugu State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit over alleged abduction, secret detention, and extortion disguised as terrorism charges.
At a press conference in Lagos yesterday, Friday’s younger brother, Sunday Eme, described the arrest as “nothing short of an abduction.” He said operatives stormed his brother’s Lagos home on June 26, 2025, without a warrant, handcuffed him before his wife, and later moved him secretly between locations.
“They demanded ₦6,000 just to pass toiletries to him in custody and later ₦250,000 for his release. We paid out of fear for his life, but they still kept him locked up. It felt less like justice and more like ransom,” Sunday alleged.
On August 4, 2025, Friday was arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Enugu on terrorism charges, including financing terrorism and belonging to proscribed groups. His brother said he denied the allegations, insisting that his confession was coerced and scripted by the operatives.
RULAAC’s Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, accused the police of intimidation, claiming Friday’s wife was threatened into silence while his lawyer was obstructed. He alleged that the charges were fabricated to cover up extortion and falsely linked Friday to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Nwanguma stressed that the case reflected a wider pattern of abuse, citing similar incidents involving Jude Anokwu, Gloria Okolie, and Thaddeus Ojokoh, who were allegedly abducted, detained, or extorted by anti-crime units. “These units operate like predator gangs, abducting citizens for ransom under the cover of law,” he said.
