After enduring over three months of detention at two police stations due to a marital dispute, businessman Hamza Yusuf Nnamdi Ejiofor finally gained relief when the Federal High Court in Lagos issued an order halting further police action against him.
The court directed the Nigerian Police Force to cease any attempts at arrest, harassment, or intimidation related to the ongoing conflict with his estranged wife.
Justice Daniel Osiagor issued the interim order following an Exparte motion filed by Ejiofor’s lawyer, CGM Achomadu, and supported by Barrister Evans Ajoku.
The court prohibited the police from arresting or detaining Ejiofor based on a petition filed by his estranged wife.
The case, marked FHC/L/CS/2025, includes several respondents, such as the Inspector General of Police, the IGP Monitoring Unit, and other officers involved in the investigation.
Ejiofor, owner of Zulu Restaurant and Lounge in FESTAC Town, Lagos, sought the court’s intervention to safeguard his constitutional rights under Nigerian and international human rights laws.
He requested an injunction to prevent further detention or arrest and to stop the police from restricting his movement while the case is pending.
The court granted the interim order and scheduled the hearing of the main case for April 29, 2025.
In his affidavit, Ejiofor’s brother, Chukwudi Ejiofor, described multiple instances of unlawful detention, despite previous investigations into similar petitions filed by the 6th and 7th respondents.
He explained that the police had dropped charges against Ejiofor due to insufficient evidence, yet continued targeting him based on the same unsubstantiated petition.
Chukwudi also detailed an incident on January 20, 2025, when the police took Ejiofor from his business without an arrest warrant, even though the matter was a civil dispute.
He further highlighted how the police ignored evidence from Ejiofor’s legal team, which included documents proving the issue had been resolved. Ejiofor, who suffers from asthma and other health issues, endured significant distress while detained.
The applicant expressed concerns that his estranged wife, who had refused to return to Nigeria, was using proxies and the police to disrupt his life and business, with the ongoing legal actions serving to continue her harassment.
