Rights Group HURIWA Slams Anambra and Bauchi Governors for Detention of Pregnant Woman, Children and Lecturer

 

A human rights watchdog has raised the alarm over what it describes as shocking abuses of power and fundamental rights violations in Anambra and Bauchi States, accusing the governors of fostering a climate of impunity and lawlessness under their leadership.

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) issued a strongly worded statement in Abuja condemning what it labelled as unconstitutional acts committed under the watch of Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra and Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi. The group specifically demanded the immediate release of individuals it claimed were being illegally detained by state-backed security operatives without charge or due process.

The statement, signed by HURIWA’s National Coordinator Emmanuel Onwubiko, detailed a disturbing case involving Mr Daniel Ikwo, his pregnant wife Cynthia, and their two children aged four and two. According to the group, the entire family was taken into custody by the Anambra security outfit known as Udogachi on May 30, 2025, in Nnewi. Over 20 days later, the family remains in detention with no formal explanation provided and no charges filed.

Witness accounts and a formal petition dated June 20 indicate that the Udogachi command in Nnewi has refused all attempts to gain access to the detainees. The group’s statement reveals that during a recent visit to the detention facility, the family of the victims was only allowed a distant glimpse of Cynthia and the children. The whereabouts of Mr Daniel Ikwo remain undisclosed, raising serious concerns about his safety and wellbeing.

“This is a gross violation of both the Nigerian Constitution and basic human decency,” Onwubiko said. “It is beyond comprehension that a woman nearing childbirth and two innocent children can be subjected to such degrading treatment by agents of the state. This is not governance. It is institutionalised anarchy.”

HURIWA did not stop with Anambra. The group also drew attention to a case in Bauchi State where a lecturer, Abubakar Ahmad, was reportedly arrested and remanded for reposting an old video involving the governor’s son, Shamsudeen Bala. The video, which dates back several years, was allegedly reshared on social media, prompting what HURIWA calls a disproportionate and vindictive response by the state.

“This kind of response to peaceful expression is not only excessive, it is tyrannical,” the group stated. “A lecturer being thrown into detention for sharing a video is an indictment on the rule of law in Bauchi State.”

These cases, HURIWA stressed, are not isolated incidents. Rather, they reflect a growing pattern of unlawful behavior perpetrated by state authorities, often using local security agencies or state-aligned actors to carry out arrests and detentions without legal oversight or accountability.

Particularly scathing was HURIWA’s criticism of Governor Soludo for failing to intervene in the Anambra case. “The continued silence from the state executive gives the impression that these abuses have official backing,” said Onwubiko. “When vigilante groups feel empowered to snatch entire families from their homes and hold them indefinitely, it suggests that constitutional safeguards have been replaced by brute force.”

Adding to the group’s outrage was the reported reaction of the Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, who allegedly dismissed the family's pleas with a curt suggestion to “go to court.” HURIWA described this response as emblematic of a wider moral and administrative collapse.

“For a government official to so casually disregard the suffering of a detained pregnant woman and her children is appalling,” Onwubiko declared. “This isn't just an absence of compassion; it is an outright failure of duty.”

The association has called on the Inspector-General of Police and the National Human Rights Commission to intervene in both cases, emphasizing that silence from the federal authorities could embolden further abuses. It also urged the media, civil society groups, and concerned citizens to raise their voices and demand accountability from state officials.

According to HURIWA, constitutional democracy cannot survive when citizens are abducted, families torn apart, and rights trampled upon with impunity. The group has promised to escalate the matter through legal and civil channels unless immediate action is taken to rectify the situation.

As public outrage begins to build, all eyes are now on the governors of Anambra and Bauchi. Their next steps could determine whether justice prevails or the descent into authoritarianism continues unchecked.