The arrest and detention of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) of Anambra State and three state counsel by operatives of the Nigeria Police in Abuja have sparked outrage within legal circles.
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According to sources within the Anambra State Ministry of Justice, the arrests are connected to the withdrawal of a controversial homicide charge filed against one Joshua Chukwubueze Ikechukwu, who was accused of killing an officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Aminu Sahabi Salisu, during a midnight operation at his residence in Awka, Anambra State, in January 2025.
EFCC had claimed that Ikechukwu, a suspected cybercriminal, opened fire on its operatives during a sting operation on January 17, resulting in the death of Salisu and injury to another officer. However, Ikechukwu maintained that the men who stormed his home were unidentified intruders who scaled his fence without any clear identification. Following a review of the case file, the Anambra State DPP entered a nolle prosequi, citing insufficient credible evidence to proceed with prosecution.
Despite the legal justification for the DPP’s decision, the Inspector-General of Police allegedly ordered the arrest and detention of the DPP and the three state counsel involved in the case.
“They were detained in Abuja on Monday and held until late,” a source familiar with the development told TheNigeriaLawyer. “They were eventually released on self-recognizance in the early hours of Tuesday after intense lobbying and intervention.”
The arrests have raised serious concerns within the legal profession, with lawyers warning that such actions undermine prosecutorial discretion and could deter public officers from carrying out their lawful duties.
One senior lawyer recalled: “As corpers in the year 2000 with the DPP’s office in the Federal Ministry of Justice, we routinely summoned police officers to explain case files or release unlawfully detained suspects and they complied. Now, prosecutors are being arrested?”
As of press time, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has not issued an official statement, but calls are growing for the association to take a firm stand in defense of its members and the independence of prosecutorial functions.
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