Nnenna John-Anozie alleges that her husband was arrested by SARS operatives in 2017, with police later claiming he was dead without producing his remains; despite court orders, investigations and human rights interventions, his fate remains unknown.

A Lagos-based woman, Nnenna John-Anozie, is still searching for answers nine years after her husband, Chukwuemeka John-Anozie, was allegedly arrested by operatives of the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and subsequently disappeared.

What began as an early morning police operation at the family's residence in Lekki, Lagos State, on June 15, 2017, has developed into a protracted battle for justice involving multiple court cases, police investigations, human rights petitions and allegations of misconduct against officers of the Nigeria Police Force.

Nearly a decade later, the family says it still does not know what happened to Chukwuemeka, where his remains are, or why officers allegedly implicated in the case have not been prosecuted.

Speaking to PUNCH Metro on Saturday, Nnenna recounted how five armed SARS operatives attached to the Awkuzu unit in Anambra State stormed their residence at about 7:50am on the day of the incident.

According to her, her husband was preparing to take their children to school when the officers intercepted his vehicle and ordered him to reverse.

She said the operatives subsequently forced their way into the compound, entered the house and took her husband away.

Nnenna alleged that the officers also searched their bedroom and removed a briefcase containing money, international passports, educational and professional certificates, the children's birth certificates and other important family documents.

Two sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and several mobile phones were also allegedly taken during the operation.

However, what one of the officers reportedly told her before leaving became one of the most disturbing aspects of the encounter.

She alleged that the officer warned her that she would never see her husband again, adding that neither going to court nor hiring a lawyer would change anything.

Her subsequent efforts to establish her husband's whereabouts at the SARS facility in Awkuzu, Anambra State, reportedly yielded no meaningful information.

During one of her visits, Nnenna claimed that an officer identified as Obiozor demanded N5m before he would discuss her husband's case.

She said the officer later escorted her to the facility's gate and instructed security personnel not to allow her back inside.

According to her, she was repeatedly denied access whenever she returned to seek information.

From that moment, she said, she neither saw her husband again nor received any communication from him.

Court orders allegedly ignored

Desperate for answers, Nnenna approached the Anambra State High Court to seek the enforcement of her husband's fundamental rights.

On July 24, 2017, the court reportedly directed the police to either charge Chukwuemeka before a competent court if there was sufficient evidence against him or release him on bail.

The court also ordered the police to produce him and explain why he could neither be charged nor released.

However, Nnenna said the authorities failed to comply with the directive.

Instead, she was subsequently informed by the police that her husband had died.

The announcement, rather than providing closure, opened another painful chapter in her search for justice.

She maintained that the police neither produced his remains nor gave the family a convincing account of the circumstances surrounding his alleged death.

Consequently, she returned to court, seeking an order compelling the authorities to release his body for an autopsy and eventual burial.

On April 16, 2018, the court reportedly directed the police to hand over the remains to the family.

Nnenna, however, said the order was also disregarded, leaving the family without a body to bury or a clear explanation of what happened.

Police investigation identifies two principal suspects

A subsequent internal police investigation appeared to offer a possible breakthrough.

Following a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, the X-Squad unit at Force Headquarters, Abuja, investigated the disappearance and reportedly identified two police officers as principal suspects in connection with the case.

Nnenna further disclosed that the Force Headquarters legal department prepared legal advice and charges in 2020.

According to her, the documents received approval from Anthony Ogbizi, who was then the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department.

Despite these developments, she said the officers were never prosecuted.

She also raised allegations of financial misconduct, claiming that withdrawals were made from her husband's bank account using his ATM card in the days following his disappearance until the money was exhausted.

The family's vehicles and other belongings also remained unaccounted for, while the investigation file reportedly became difficult to trace for several years.

EndSARS panel and human rights commission interventions

Nnenna's search for justice extended beyond the police hierarchy.

In October 2020, she petitioned the National Human Rights Commission over her husband's disappearance and the alleged conduct of the officers involved.

She also appeared before the Abuja EndSARS Judicial Panel of Inquiry, participating in proceedings between 2020 and 2022.

During the hearings, the panel reportedly directed the police to produce the officers connected to the case, disclose Chukwuemeka's whereabouts and return the property allegedly taken from the family home.

However, Nnenna said the officers failed to appear, while the panel's directives were not implemented before the proceedings ended without a resolution.

Despite the setbacks, she refused to abandon the search.

Falana's chambers return case to IGP

In November 2023, Nnenna, through her lawyers at Falana and Falana Chambers, submitted another petition to the Inspector-General of Police, seeking the reopening of the investigation.

The petition reportedly prompted a directive for the case to be reinvestigated, with the assignment handed to an officer attached to the IGP Monitoring Team.

However, Nnenna said the process eventually stalled after requests for relevant documents and investigative records were allegedly left unfulfilled.

On April 8, 2025, she formally invoked the Freedom of Information Act, requesting access to the investigation records.

The request was addressed to the then Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

When the documents were not released, she approached the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/865/2025, was filed against the Inspector-General of Police, seeking certified copies of the investigation records and legal advice relating to her husband's disappearance.

On September 24, 2025, Justice Binta Nyako reportedly ruled in her favour, awarding her N2m in compensation over the violation of her right to access information.

However, Nnenna said the police still failed to comply with the judgment until after Egbetokun left office in February 2026, when contempt proceedings were initiated against the IGP.

Police forward investigation file to Attorney-General

A fresh development emerged during proceedings on July 24, 2026, when her lawyer informed her that the police had filed a notice of compliance.

According to the information presented, the investigation file and related documents had been forwarded to the Attorney-General of the Federation in July 2026.

While the development represents movement in a case that has dragged on for nearly a decade, it has not answered the central questions troubling the family.

Nnenna is still demanding a clear account of what happened to her husband after he was taken away from their home in 2017.

She also wants the police to explain why they declared him dead without producing his remains, what happened to the property allegedly seized during the operation, and why officers reportedly identified as principal suspects in the investigation have not faced prosecution.

For the family, the issue goes beyond missing documents, court judgments or official investigations.

It is about a husband and father who left home one morning and never returned.

Nine years later, Nnenna John-Anozie is still waiting for answers, accountability and the opportunity to finally know the fate of her husband.