Judge Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja received news on Monday about a missing casefile related to police officers involved in a businessman’s disappearance. The businessman was taken from his home in 2017.
Despite the court's ruling about 10 months ago, police authorities have not followed the judgement.
Mrs Anozie, through her lawyer Vincent Adodo, filed a contempt suit in December 2025 against the then-Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. She accused him of ignoring the court's order.
The case did not move forward while Mr Egbetokun was in office until he left in February. The new IGP, Tunji Disu, took over but compliance with the judgement remained slow.
On Monday, Mr Adodo reported that the long-missing casefile had been found. He told the court, "They have found the case file."
He added that the police released the file about two weeks ago so his team could make photocopies. He stated that both the photocopies and the original copies were returned to the police for stamping.
“I don’t know what is holding them. The only thing they need to do is just to certify it,” he said, mentioning that no further action has been taken since.
The judge responded, “At least something is happening.” Two lawyers, Comfort Olowomoran and Mariam Kadir, were present in court to observe on behalf of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). The police did not have any lawyer present.
Mr Anozie, whose wife filed the suit, has not been seen by his family since police officers abducted him in Lagos. The officers were from the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and came from Awkuzu, Anambra State, to abduct Mr Anozie in June 2017.
Since then, his wife, Mrs Anozie, has tirelessly gone to courts and the #EndSARS Judicial Panel of Inquiry, searching for answers about her husband’s disappearance. She petitioned the NHRC in 2020 regarding the case.
The NHRC referred the issue to the Abuja #EndSARS Judicial Panel of Inquiry. However, the case was declared inconclusive because the police repeatedly ignored summonses and did not bring the officers involved in Mr Anozie’s abduction or the case file.
PREMIUM TIMES has reported extensively on the police's disobedience to court orders about Mr Anozie’s disappearance and his wife’s struggles since his abduction.
The implicated officers include Anthony Obiozor Ikechukwu, an assistant superintendent of police; Uzochukwu Emeana, a sergeant; John Eze, also known as T Boy; Oriole; and Sunday Okpe, a superintendent of police. Some of them have retired.
In her fight for justice, Mrs Anozie has received several rulings from different judges. These orders demand that her missing husband be produced and that the police officers involved in his disappearance be held accountable.
The latest ruling was issued by Mrs Nyako in September 2025 during Mr Egbetokun's time. She directed the IGP to produce the accused officers and multiple case files related to the issue.
The court also awarded N2 million to Mrs Anozie. But the police authorities did not follow the judgement. This led Mrs Anozie to file contempt proceedings in December 2025, seeking to jail the then-IGP for ignoring the court’s order.
When the contempt application came up before Mrs Nyako on February 18, she warned that she could order the Chief of Army Staff to arrest Mr Egbetokun for not obeying the court's judgement.
To prevent that situation, the judge offered Mr Egbetokun a chance for an amicable resolution to ensure the judgement was followed. She then adjourned the case until April 23.
However, the April 23 proceedings were delayed because the motion was addressed to Mr Egbetokun instead of the new IGP Tunde Disu, who had taken over the police leadership.
Before Mrs Anozie gave the update on the casefile on Monday, Judge Nyako mentioned she was thinking about transferring the contempt case to another judge for determination.
“I have been thinking about this matter, and I am of the opinion that I should send this case to one of my brother judges to take the contempt proceedings,” she said during Monday's session. “I feel I have been so involved in the matter.”
Mr Adodo informed the court that his client was okay with Mrs Nyako continuing to hear the case. In response, Mrs Nyako acknowledged Mrs Anozie’s positive view of her handling of the proceedings.
Still, she decided to take one week to determine whether to continue with the contempt case or pass it to another judge. She adjourned the case until July 24 to make a decision.
Mr Egbetokun resigned in late February at the request of President Bola Tinubu, allowing Mr Disu to succeed him. In April, Mr Disu promised to end police misconduct, stating, “We are presently putting a lot together to ensure that this administration, moving forward, ends impunity in our nation.”
He also assured of “a more professional and more accountable police force in Nigeria.”
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