By Lukman Olabiyi
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has called for the immediate release of 21-year-old student Nurse, Princess Nmesoma Chukwunyere, who has been detained for over 80 days without trial by the Imo State Police Command.
In statement issued by RULAAC, the right group described Nmesoma’s prolonged detention as a grave injustice and a disturbing violation of constitutional rights, calling it a test of both the rule of law and police accountability in Nigeria.
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According to the statement, Nmesoma, a student nurse at Mother of Mercy Hospital and Maternity, Orlu, was arrested on July 15, 2025, while doing part-time job, at Evergreen Pharmacy in Umudiato, Orlu. Her arrest was allegedly connected to a robbery that occurred nearly a month earlier, on June 22.
Her father, Gabriel Ekechukwu, said she was initially held at the Orlu Police Division for three weeks, during which she was reportedly tortured and threatened by police officers demanding a confession. Following her refusal, she was transferred to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, widely known as “Tiger Base,” in Owerri.
RULAAC expressed deep concern that, despite searches of Nmesoma’s home and a review of her bank records turning up no evidence linking her to the crime, she remains in detention.
According to the group, other suspects ,who had previously stated that Nmesoma was innocent later changed their testimonies after her transfer to Tiger Base, raising fears of coerced statements and manipulation of evidence.
“More than three months after her arrest, and nearly three weeks after the matter was formally brought to the attention of the Imo State Police Command and higher authorities, Nmesoma remains unlawfully detained,” Mr. Okechukwu Nwanguma, Executive Director of RULAAC said.
RULAAC noted that a petition submitted to the police on September 18 and a formal letter from the family’s lawyer on October 2, demanding her release or arraignment have both been ignored. The group condemned the silence from police authorities and described the continued detention as unconstitutional and inhumane.
Citing Section 35 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees the right to personal liberty and mandates that suspects be charged in court within 24 or 48 hours depending on location, RULAAC said the police are operating outside the law.
The group also drew attention to the alleged roles of specific police officers and civilians in the matter.
The group called for investigations into the conduct of IPO, Osinachi of the Orlu Division and Inspector Chidi Igwe of Tiger Base, over allegations of torture and unlawful detention. RULAAC further urged authorities to probe the involvement of Declan, owner of Evergreen Pharmacy, suggesting that personal interests may be influencing the case.
“Tiger Base has long been documented as a hub of torture, extortion, and extra-judicial actions,” the statement read. “That such a unit continues to operate unchecked is a reflection of systemic impunity and institutional failure.”
RULAAC emphasized that Nmesoma’s ordeal is indicative of a wider pattern of human rights violations within the Nigeria Police Force. “This is not just about one young woman,” Nwanguma said. “It is about a system that too often abandons its duty to protect and instead persecutes the innocent.”
The group urged the Inspector-General of Police and the Police Service Commission to intervene immediately, warning that any ongoing police reform agenda would fail if abuses like these are allowed to continue.
“Justice delayed is justice denied, but justice ignored is justice buried,” the statement concluded. “The time to act is now.”
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