NIGERIA POLICE CHALLENGE IMO CORONER’S RULING RECOMMENDING PROSECUTION OF OFFICERS OVER JAPHETH NJOKU’S DEATH
The Nigeria Police Force has challenged the findings and recommendations of an Imo State Coroner’s Court, which called for the prosecution of two police officers over the death of 32-year-old Japheth Njoku in custody at the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, popularly known as Tiger Base, in Owerri.
The dispute follows a coroner’s inquest conducted by Chief Magistrate E.U. Chinaka, whose findings, delivered on September 30, 2026, linked Njoku’s prolonged detention and the conditions inside the police facility to the deterioration of his health and eventual death.
The coroner recommended that Inspector Barnabas and the officer in charge of Tiger Base, identified in reports as CSP Oladimeji Odeyeyiwa, should face prosecution over allegations of extortion and corruption arising from the circumstances surrounding Njoku’s detention.
However, the police have challenged the coroner’s recommendations, disputing the conclusions reached during the inquest and seeking to contest the findings through the appropriate legal process.
Njoku died on or about May 5, 2025, after spending approximately six weeks in police custody. He was reportedly arrested on March 29, 2025, following an allegation that he stole goods at Alaba Market.
During the inquest, evidence indicated that the alleged stealing offence was bailable. The coroner found that Njoku was kept in detention for an extended period without being charged before a court or granted bail.
The proceedings also featured allegations that Inspector Barnabas demanded ₦500,000 as police bail and an additional ₦300,000 to settle the complainant in the underlying case. The coroner found that the alleged financial demands contributed to Njoku’s continued detention because his family could not raise the money.
Inspector Barnabas reportedly told the inquest that Njoku was not released because CSP Oladimeji had identified him as a terrorist during an inspection of the detention facility. He also claimed that the deceased had confessed to terrorism.
However, the coroner rejected that explanation, noting that the alleged confession was not produced before the court and that the circumstances surrounding it were not properly documented in accordance with the law.
The court described the terrorism allegation as an attempt to justify Njoku’s prolonged detention and the alleged extortion. It concluded that the conditions in which he was held contributed to the deterioration of his health.
The inquest also heard disturbing accounts about conditions inside the Tiger Base detention facility. Njoku’s brother, Uchechukwu Njoku, told the court that the family experienced difficulties gaining access to him and that he had complained about overcrowding and the offensive smell from the cell’s toilet.
Another witness, Basil Ekenyere, alleged that more than 45 suspects were being held in an extremely overcrowded cell. He also described conditions that allegedly forced detainees to stand for prolonged periods.
An autopsy report presented during the proceedings listed meningitis, bronchial pneumonia and hypertensive heart disease as the causes of Njoku’s death. The medical pathologist who conducted the examination, however, did not testify during the inquest.
Despite that limitation, the coroner concluded that Njoku’s prolonged detention and the inhuman conditions in which he was held contributed to the deterioration of his health and eventual death.
Apart from recommending the prosecution of the two officers, the coroner called for the transfer of all officers serving at the Anti-Kidnapping Unit. The court also recommended that the unit bear the cost of Njoku’s burial and that the Imo State Police Command pay adequate compensation to his family.
The recommendations further included installing functional closed-circuit television cameras in police detention facilities, establishing a special monitoring unit to ensure the cameras remain operational and providing police investigators with improved training on lawful detention procedures.
The Inspector-General of Police and the Imo State Commissioner of Police were urged to ensure implementation of the recommendations within three months.
The police challenge has introduced another legal dimension to a case that has attracted attention from human rights organisations and civil society groups concerned about alleged abuses in police detention facilities.
Amnesty International has called on the Imo State Attorney-General, the Inspector-General of Police, the Police Service Commission and the state Commissioner of Police to ensure that the coroner’s findings lead to concrete action.
The organisation also demanded an independent investigation into reports that attempts were made to obstruct the court-ordered autopsy and intimidate witnesses during the proceedings.
Amnesty International maintained that Njoku’s family deserved justice and an effective remedy, while urging authorities to prosecute anyone against whom sufficient evidence of criminal responsibility exists.
The case has renewed scrutiny of the operations of Tiger Base and broader concerns about allegations of unlawful detention, torture, extortion and other forms of ill-treatment in police custody.
The challenge to the coroner’s recommendations does not amount to a criminal conviction or establish that the officers have been cleared of wrongdoing. Any prosecution and determination of criminal responsibility must follow due process before a competent court.
The central issues remain whether the officers acted lawfully during Njoku’s detention, whether the alleged demands for money contributed to his continued custody and whether the police authorities will implement the safeguards recommended by the coroner.
Street News Reporters will continue to monitor the legal challenge, the response of the Nigeria Police Force and the Imo State Government, and any steps taken towards accountability and compensation for Japheth Njoku’s family.
