Corrupt System Fueling Insecurity in Anambra – U.S.-Based Retired Army Officer Alleges
Bonaventure Ezekwenna and his Lawyer Barr Jude Obiora at a briefing in Awka Anambra State on Monday to address the rot in the ministry of justice in the state
A United States-based retired army officer, Mr. Bonaventure Ezekwenna, originally from Anambra State, has alleged that the growing insecurity in the state is being fueled by corruption within the police force and the state’s justice system.
He claimed that law enforcement officers and public prosecutors are complicit in enabling and protecting criminal elements.
Mr. Ezekwenna made this statement on Monday in Awka, the capital of Anambra State, while narrating his experience with the office of the Attorney General and the Anambra State Ministry of Justice.
“My experience with insecurity in Anambra State and my long-standing struggle for justice opened my eyes to the fact that criminal activities here are not just tolerated but actively encouraged by law enforcement and some officials in government,” he said.
According to him, most of the violent criminal syndicates involved in kidnapping, assassination, armed robbery, and cult-related violence are being aided and abetted by certain police officers, judicial officials, and prosecutors in the Anambra State Ministry of Justice.
He recounted how, on September 2, 2021, he purchased an uncompleted property in Nnobi town, Idemili South Local Government Area, for ₦10 million and made the payment through a bank draft, in line with Nigerian property laws.
In accordance with Nnobi customs and tradition, he slaughtered a traditional goat on the land to signify the purchase. However, as he commenced development of the property, a man he described as a “land grabber” stormed the site, made threats of violence, and claimed that he had purchased the same property a year earlier for ₦20 million. The man demanded ₦20 million from Mr. Ezekwenna in exchange for vacating the land.
“He demolished my property and stole my building materials. He boasted that he is a native doctor who runs deadly shrines in Nnobi and other places. He also said that he has the police from the local station up to the Inspector General in his pocket. After making inquiries, I realized I had come into contact with a hardened criminal,” he said.
Through his investigations, Ezekwenna said he was gather information about the criminal gang activities through high-ranking police officers, Department of State Services (DSS) operatives, local residents, and even members of the Nnobi community leadership.
He alleges that the town’s leadership lives in fear of these criminal gangs, who he says are protected by wealthy elites, law enforcement, judiciary officials, and state prosecutors.
“The atrocities committed by these syndicates are no secret. Dismembered bodies are frequently found on roadsides and in bushes around Nnobi and neighboring towns,especially around Obi-Aja stream, which is only a 15 to 20-minute walk from the Nnobi Police Station and less than a three-minute drive from the Idemili South Local Government Headquarters in Ojoto. It’s unbelievable,” he added.
According to him, after reporting the matter to the police, the case was investigated and charged to court. His lawyer also filed a civil suit at the Anambra State High Court to reclaim the property. However, Mr. Ezekwenna said that while attending court proceedings at the Nnobi Chief Magistrate Court, an attempt was made to kidnap and kill him. He claimed that there have been at least seven such attempts on his life.
He further alleged that his investigations revealed that some police officers in the state are part of the same deadly syndicates they are supposed to be combating.
“The level of corruption, and the aiding and abetting of criminal activity I observed within the Nigerian Police Force, is a topic for another day. Today, I want to focus on the corruption I witnessed at the Anambra State Ministry of Justice,” he stated.
He said that a prosecutor in the ministry demanded a ₦1 million bribe from him to ensure proper prosecution of the suspects.
“It’s hard to believe that a crime victim would be expected to pay such an amount just to get justice. The prosecutor told me to act fast because the suspects had already offered him a large sum to ‘pervert justice’. I reported him to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), but she told me to ‘settle’ with the prosecutor. She said that’s how things are done,” he said.
Ezekwenna added that he ended up paying over ₦400,000 to the first prosecutor, who continued to extort him until he strongly resisted.
The prosecutor allegedly threatened him, saying, “For complaining against me, you will meet your Waterloo. My gods will fight you.”
He further revealed that when the case was reassigned to a new prosecutor, the same pattern emerged. The second prosecutor allegedly extorted ₦150,000 from him and still took no action.
According to Ezekwenna, his case at the Chief Magistrate Court was eventually struck out for “lack of diligent prosecution.”
He said that when he tried to bring his concerns directly to the Anambra State Attorney General, Prof. Sylvia Ifemeje, she responded with hostility.
“She shouted at me and told me to stop complaining about her prosecutors. She advised me to tell my lawyer to go for a fiat. If this is how crime victims are treated in Anambra, then the entire state is in serious trouble,” he said.
Ezekwenna further alleged that the system is enabling gangsters to act with impunity due to the consistent perversion of justice by state prosecutors.
“The gross corruption at the Anambra State Ministry of Justice is encouraging, aiding, and abetting the criminal elements terrorizing the state,” he said.
Following legal advice, he said he petitioned the governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, but has yet to receive any response.
“It is my firm belief that the corruption in the Anambra State Ministry of Justice is one of the major causes of insecurity in the state. No one is safe under an Attorney General who allows prosecutors to shield known criminals from justice,” he added.
He appealed to Governor Soludo to urgently investigate the alleged rot in the ministry and restore public confidence in the justice system.
His lawyer, Barr. Jude Obiora, corroborated Ezekwenna’s claims and raised further concerns.
“Something strange is happening in Anambra. Government officials are openly extorting citizens. The criminals operating in the state are not doing so alone,they are being enabled by corrupt law enforcement and judicial officers,” Obiora said.
He clarified that they are not attacking the Attorney General’s office but are calling on her to discipline errant staff.
Obiora also described a disturbing incident during court proceedings where the suspects allegedly caused such a scene that the court had to relocate from Anambra State High Court Oba to Anambra State High Court Onitsha.
“As a lawyer, I fear for my life. All we are asking is for the Attorney General to allow the court to do its work. Why did she take over the case only to let it die?” he asked.
In response, Attorney General Prof. Sylvia Ifemeje said that Ezekwenna’s problem was initially with a prosecutor, which led her to reassign the case to a different one. However, she noted that he continued to have issues.
“I don’t know why he keeps going around bribing my staff and complaining about me. If he’s not satisfied, he should petition my principal—the governor,” she stated.
She also warned journalists to be careful about their reporting, threatening legal action if they publish what she considers defamatory content.
