Family Demands Answers Over Bricklayer's Alleged Detention and Disappearance in Anambra
The family of 26-year-old bricklayer Ndudi Valentine Mmadudilim, from Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Council of Anambra State, has raised urgent concerns over his alleged unlawful arrest, prolonged detention, and subsequent disappearance. Two years after he was reportedly taken into police custody without trial, the Mmadudilim kindred accuses security operatives and elements within the Nigeria Police Force of withholding critical information about his whereabouts, insisting that authorities must produce him dead or alive.
Two Years of Anguish and Unanswered Questions
Speaking for the family, Amaka Usubor, a 32-year-old nurse practitioner and elder sister to the detainee, described living in anguish since November 2023 when her brother was first arrested. We have been in pain and have lost all happiness for the past two years since the unlawful arrest and detention of our brother, Ndudi Valentine Mmadudilim, she stated. Usubor detailed that her brother was initially apprehended in 2023 by officials of the Anambra Vigilante Service, allegedly led by Jude Ononuju, identified as chairman of the Ozubulu branch of the group.
He was detained for three days at a vigilante facility before being transferred to Ugwu-Olie Police Station and later arraigned before Chief Magistrate's Court GD2 in Ozubulu. Mmadudilim was reportedly charged with cultism and unlawful possession of a locally made double-barrel pistol in suit number MOZ/7C/2024, prosecuted by Inspector Ikemefuna Nnamani.
Court Proceedings and Subsequent Rearrest
The family obtained a Certified True Copy of the court proceedings, which showed that presiding magistrate O.I. Nworah granted bail after finding the alleged confessional statement presented by police was unsigned and unverified. Usubor also noted the vigilante leader did not testify that Mmadudilim was found with any firearm, contradicting earlier police claims. The court granted bail on August 15, 2024, in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties under Section 131(1) of the Anambra State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2022, and ordered the case file transmitted to the Attorney-General's office.
However, Usubor alleged that in April 2024, while complying with court processes, her brother was rearrested by operatives of the police Rapid Response Squad at the court premises. He was taken back to Ugwu-Olie Police Station and later transferred to the Rapid Response Squad facility in Ukwulu, where he has remained in detention without being charged before any court.
Allegations of Obstruction and New Claims
Usubor identified an officer named Ndukwe as the Investigating Police Officer assigned to the case, alleging he initially denied her brother was in custody. According to her, the Divisional Police Officer at Ugwu-Olie later confirmed Mmadudilim was being held at the Rapid Response Squad facility and advised the family to find out why he had not been charged. Subsequent visits to the facility yielded no access, with Usubor accusing the officer of refusing entry, verbally abusing her, and introducing a fresh allegation linking the detainee to a murder case.
She further alleged no complainant or relative of any alleged victim was presented, and the officer showed what she described as an artificial intelligence-generated photograph as evidence. When I challenged the authenticity of the image, he became aggressive and sent me out, she recounted.
Possible Personal Dispute and Official Responses
Usubor also suggested the dispute may be linked to a personal disagreement involving a woman, claiming tensions between her brother and Ononuju stemmed from a rivalry over a female companion. Attempts to resolve the issue through village elders failed, with Ononuju allegedly boasting that Mmadudilim would die in detention due to his police connections. Ononuju could not be reached for comment at the time of reporting.
When contacted, state Commissioner of Police Orutugu Ikioye reportedly said he was not in office when the matter began and referred inquiries to Rapid Response Squad Commander Orode Chidubem Matthew. The commander, according to the family, denied any detainee bearing the name Valentine was in police custody. He later accompanied journalists and Usubor to Awka to meet a Deputy Commissioner of Police, but after a private meeting lasting about 30 minutes, returned to say the officer would not speak to journalists.
Ongoing Uncertainty and Broader Concerns
As of press time, the whereabouts of Ndudi Valentine Mmadudilim remain unclear, with no official detention records publicly produced and no fresh charges reported. This case raises significant concerns about due process, accountability in law enforcement, and prolonged detention without trial in Nigeria. For the Mmadudilim family, the demand remains direct and unwavering: Show us our brother — dead or alive.
