Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The knock on the door came at 4 a.m. on September 10, 2026. The Ifenze family was asleep in their home in Amorji Nike, Enugu East Local Government Area, when operatives of the Anti-Cult Unit of the Enugu State Police Command reportedly stormed the residence. They were looking for Chibueze Kingsley Ifenze. When they did not find him, they turned their attention to his younger brother, Izu Chukwu Ifenze Nelson, a 20-year-old man who was at home and had nothing to do with whatever investigation had brought the police to their door at that hour.
According to a complaint filed by the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, the officers did not explain why they were searching for Chibueze or show the family any warrant before carrying out the operation. Nelson told RULAAC that when his brother was not found, the operatives searched his room and took three mobile phones, a laptop, chargers, two power banks and other personal belongings. He also alleged that his mother was threatened with being shot when she questioned the officers about the reason for the raid. The family was left frightened, and the circumstances surrounding the seizure of Nelson's belongings have now become the subject of a formal complaint to the Enugu State Police Command.
The complaint, sent to the Command's Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, requests clarification on several aspects of the incident. RULAAC asked the Command to establish whether operatives of its Anti-Cult Unit carried out the operation, the identities of the officers involved, and why Chibueze Kingsley Ifenze was being sought. The organisation also asked whether Nelson's property was taken during the operation, and if so, whether the items were properly documented as exhibits and the legal basis for their continued retention. It further requested clarification on the identity and status of an officer identified as "Chief Ugwu," whose telephone number it listed, and his alleged role in the incident.
The most troubling allegation in the complaint is that Nelson's uncle visited the Anti-Cult Unit office to recover the seized property and was allegedly asked to pay N100,000 before the belongings would be released. The family said they encountered the officer identified as "Chief Ugwu" and were told to pay the money. RULAAC's Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, told SaharaReporters that the organisation is seeking clarification from the Enugu State Police Command before drawing conclusions about the alleged monetary demand. The organisation said it would appreciate a response from the police so it could accurately advise Nelson and reflect the Command's position in its documentation of the case. RULAAC said the police spokesperson was aware of the complaint and had promised to follow up for necessary action.
Meanwhile, the officer identified by the family as "Chief Ugwu" has denied involvement in the operation. According to RULAAC, the officer called and said he lives within the jurisdiction but was not part of the raid. His denial raises further questions about who ordered the operation, who conducted it, and who is now demanding money for the return of a 20-year-old's personal belongings. The Enugu State Police Command has not issued an official statement on the incident, and the identities of the officers involved remain unconfirmed. The complaint is still pending, and the family is waiting for answers.
The incident is not an isolated case. In August 2025, the family of a man named Eme Friday and RULAAC demanded a probe of operatives of the Enugu State Police Command's Anti-Kidnapping Unit over allegations of abduction, secret detention and extortion. The family said operatives stormed his home in Lagos on June 26, 2025, without a warrant. In December 2024, a man accused police officers attached to Awkunanaw Police Station of kidnapping his brother and robbing him of N1 million. In January 2026, a Bayelsa trader lamented extortion and illegal detention by officers of the Enugu Police Command, alleging that a four-man armed police team stormed his shop and seized about 30 phones as well as his personal iPad. The pattern is consistent and troubling: police operatives conducting raids without warrants, seizing personal property, and demanding money for its return.
For Nelson, the raid has turned his life upside down. His phones and laptop are gone. His mother was threatened. His family was terrorised in their own home at 4 a.m. And when they tried to recover what was taken, they were allegedly told to pay N100,000. The police have a duty to investigate crime, but that duty does not include breaking down doors without warrants, threatening unarmed family members, seizing the property of people who are not suspects, and demanding money for the return of items that should never have been taken in the first place. RULAAC has asked the right questions. The Enugu State Police Command now has a responsibility to provide answers.
The Command's spokesperson has promised to follow up on the complaint. The officer accused of demanding the money has denied involvement. The operation itself has not been officially confirmed. Nelson's belongings are still missing. And a 20-year-old man who was asleep in his own bed is now waiting to find out whether the police will return what they took or whether he will have to pay for the return of his own property. The law is clear. The police cannot seize property without lawful authority, and they cannot demand payment for its release. The question is whether the Enugu State Police Command will uphold the law or whether this case will become another example of impunity that goes unpunished. For now, the family waits, the complaint is pending, and the officers involved remain unnamed.
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