Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a warrant for the arrest and extradition of a United Kingdom-based Nigerian radiographer, Immaculata Nkiruka Ikenwankwor, to face cybercrime-related charges in Nigeria, directing that she be placed on an Interpol Red Notice and the watchlist of the Nigeria Immigration Service. The ruling, delivered by Justice James Omotosho on Thursday, July 30, 2026, followed an ex-parte application by the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, who told the court that the defendant had become incommunicado since the commission of the alleged offences and was at large.
According to the court order, Ikenwankwor is to be remanded in the custody of the complainant for 14 days upon her arrest, pending the conclusion of investigation and possible prosecution. The order, however, will become invalid 14 days after her arrest. The IGP, through a team of police lawyers led by N.O. Eleodimuo, brought the application marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1507/2026, seeking the warrant after intelligence indicated that the defendant had gone into hiding. In an affidavit deposed to by Oluwatosin Ayoola, the IGP informed the court that there is a pending charge against the defendant and that the application would be worthless if granted later, when the defendant might have eloped to another country.
In a six-count charge filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, the IGP alleged that Ikenwankwor, sometime between January 2026 and March 2026, "sent an electronic message through a computer system, mobile device, and WhatsApp platform, via +23407032055889 and +447448042937, over an electronic communication network — a message of a grossly offensive, threatening and menacing character." This, according to the prosecution, is contrary to Section 24(1)(a) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended, 2024). The defendant was also alleged to have threatened to kill, an offence contrary to Section 396 and punishable under Section 397 of the Penal Code 2004, as well as to have engaged in blackmail, an offence contrary to Section 24 of the Cybercrimes Act.
The case against Ikenwankwor has a lengthy history. On July 2, 2026, Justice O.A. Musa of the FCT High Court sentenced the radiographer to 22 months in prison after she was found guilty of criminal contempt for failing to comply with interim court orders issued on April 2, 2026, which required preservation of electronic evidence and submission of an affidavit of compliance. The court described her non-compliance as a serious affront to the rule of law. Justice Musa also issued a bench warrant directing the Director-General of the Department of State Services and the IGP to immediately apprehend the defendant "wherever she may be found within the territorial jurisdiction of Nigeria." The court further directed the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service to place her bio-data and the details of her international passport on the National Security Watchlist and "No Fly List" across all international and domestic air, land, and sea ports within Nigeria.
In the same judgment, Justice Musa awarded N150 million in aggravated damages against the respondent, with an additional 10 per cent post-judgement interest per annum, after finding that she engaged in a sustained pattern of threatening and coercive conduct through digital communications, including WhatsApp messages, which the judge said amounted to cyber harassment and psychological intimidation against her former partner, a legal practitioner. The court held that the messages included explicit threats of lethal violence, which the judge interpreted as serious and credible threats rather than mere emotional outbursts, and that the conduct created an atmosphere of fear, emotional distress, and psychological pressure over a prolonged period.
Justice Musa further held that the evidence showed not only harassment but also blackmail and coercion, noting that messages were allegedly used to pressure the applicant into signing documents and complying with demands under threat of exposure, police action, and reputational harm. On sexual assault allegations, the court found that the respondent violated the applicant's constitutional rights, holding that she engaged in non-consensual sexual conduct during periods they were together in Abuja, while excluding any conduct alleged to have occurred outside Nigeria due to lack of territorial jurisdiction. The judgement also addressed invasion of privacy, finding that the respondent allegedly recorded private conversations, including audio and video, without consent and shared or threatened to share them with third parties, a conduct the court held breached constitutional protections of privacy under Section 37 and dignity under Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution.
In addition to awarding damages, the court directed that copies of the judgement be transmitted to regulatory bodies, including the UK Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), the Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN), and Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, for possible disciplinary review of the respondent's professional conduct. The court, in its evaluation, questioned the respondent's fitness to practice as a healthcare professional, referencing ethical standards expected of radiographers and warning that the findings raised concerns about emotional stability and professional judgement.
The latest ruling by Justice Omotosho, which places Ikenwankwor on an Interpol Red Notice and the Nigeria Immigration Service watchlist, represents a significant escalation in the legal pursuit of the radiographer, who is believed to be currently outside Nigeria. The Red Notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. With the court having also ordered the Nigeria Immigration Service to place her on the "No Fly List," the defendant's ability to travel internationally without detection has been severely curtailed.
The case against Immaculata Nkiruka Ikenwankwor highlights the growing willingness of Nigerian courts to pursue individuals who commit cyber offences, even when they reside abroad, and the increasing cooperation between Nigerian judicial authorities and international law enforcement agencies through the Interpol framework. As the legal battle continues, the radiographer remains at large, but with an Interpol Red Notice now issued against her, her days of evading justice may be numbered. The court has made it clear: upon her arrest, she will be remanded at the Suleja Correctional Facility to serve her sentence, bringing an end to a case that has exposed the dark side of digital communication and the devastating consequences of cyber harassment and threats.
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