Abuja Businessman Nwokorie Sues Police, IGP, PSC, Ex-Partner Genevieve Opara Over Arrest, Detention, Seeks ₦100m Damages
Abuja Businessman Nwokorie Sues Police, IGP, PSC, Ex-Partner Genevieve Opara Over Arrest, Detention, Seeks ₦100m Damages
Abuja businessman David Nwokorie has filed a fundamental-rights lawsuit against the Nigeria Police Force, Inspector-General of Police, Police Service Commission and his former partner, Genevieve Nneoma Opara, over his arrest and detention, seeking ₦100 million in damages.
The case, filed before the Federal High Court, centres on allegations by Nwokorie that his arrest and subsequent treatment in custody violated his fundamental rights.
Nwokorie also filed a separate petition before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), asking the commission and other relevant authorities to investigate allegations concerning his treatment while in custody.
According to court documents, Nwokorie’s dispute with Opara followed a personal and business relationship between the two. He said they co-founded the Genieve and David Empowerment Foundation in 2024 and later began dating.
Nwokorie alleged that after he discovered that Opara was married with children, he ended the relationship.
He further alleged that on January 25, 2025, Opara entered his Abuja residence while he was away, accompanied by a police officer. According to his affidavit, furniture and electronic items were damaged while valuables, including jewellery, shoes, wristwatches and money, were allegedly taken from the property.
Nwokorie claimed that Opara subsequently promised to return the items and compensate him for the alleged damage but failed to do so. He said he later instructed his lawyer to demand ₦25 million in restitution.
The businessman was subsequently arrested in April 2025 over allegations including cyberstalking, cyberbullying, blackmail and threats to life.
Opara had previously confirmed that Nwokorie was being detained over allegations of blackmail, cyberbullying and threats, but declined to discuss the substance of the case, referring questions to her lawyer. Her lawyer also declined to comment, citing the fact that the matter was before the court.
In his fundamental-rights application, Nwokorie alleged that police officers arrested him without a warrant, handcuffed and blindfolded him, denied him access to a lawyer and pressured him to make a statement.
He further alleged that he was held in poor conditions, became ill while in custody and was denied adequate medical attention. The full response of the police to these allegations was not included in the materials supplied for the report.
Nwokorie has also raised allegations concerning his treatment at the Kuje Custodial Centre. In a petition dated September 23, 2026, he asked the NHRC and other authorities to investigate an alleged telephone call made to an official at the facility around July 20, 2026.
He alleged that the caller was retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police Hilary Opara, whom he identified as Genevieve Opara’s father, and claimed that the former police officer sought to influence how he was treated at the custodial centre.
Nwokorie said the correctional official allegedly did not comply with the request and later informed him about the call. He asked investigators to establish the identity of the caller, determine what was said and establish whether any action followed.
He also asked authorities to preserve possible evidence, including phone records, call logs, CCTV footage, visitor records and internal communications, and to interview relevant correctional personnel.
Nwokorie stressed that his allegations against members of Opara’s family should be investigated individually, stating that being related to a complainant does not itself establish liability.
The businessman has also questioned the circumstances surrounding his continued detention after a reported bail ruling. His petition states that Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court granted him bail on July 14, but that he remained in custody because of conditions attached to the bail order.
Among the conditions cited was a requirement for a serving Nigerian Army colonel to stand as surety. Nwokorie asked the relevant authorities to verify the court ruling and determine whether anyone attempted to frustrate its implementation.
His fundamental-rights suit names the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector-General of Police, the Police Service Commission and Genevieve Opara as respondents.
The court is being asked to determine whether Nwokorie’s arrest and detention breached his constitutional rights and whether he is entitled to the ₦100 million compensation being sought.
Nwokorie has emphasised that the fundamental-rights case and his NHRC petition are separate from the criminal proceedings against him. He said he is not asking the human-rights authorities to determine whether he committed the offences for which he was arrested.
Instead, he wants the authorities to examine whether he was subjected to unlawful treatment, intimidation or punishment outside procedures authorised by law.
The case remains before the relevant authorities, with the allegations made by Nwokorie yet to be determined by the court. The criminal allegations against him also remain separate from the claims contained in his fundamental-rights application.
