War in Anambra FA: Igbokwe Serves Pre-Action Notice on Iloenyosi, Police Over Unlawful Arrest,Detention

Ikechukwu Igbokwe and Chikelue Iloenyosi

Tensions are escalating within the Anambra State Football Association (AnSFA) as prominent lawyer and football stakeholder, Barr. Ikechukwu Igbokwe, has issued a Pre-Action Notice against Chikelue Iloenyosi, Chairman of the AnSFA, and the Nigeria Police, Anambra State Command.

The notice stems from what Igbokwe described as his unlawful arrest and detention for three days, allegedly instigated by Iloenyosi over matters relating to football governance and personal allegations.

In the petition titled “Re: Conduct of Officers/Men of Commissioner’s Monitoring Unit (X-Squad), Awka”, submitted through his legal representatives Obinna Ugah & Associates to the Commissioner of Police, Igbokwe demands a public apology and an investigation into the actions of the officers involved.

According to the petition, on September 2, 2025, Igbokwe was apprehended in broad daylight on the streets of Awka by armed plainclothes officers later identified as personnel from the X-Squad Department, allegedly on the instruction of AnSFA chairman Chikelue Iloenyosi. He was detained for three days at the Central Police Station (CPS), Awka without formal interrogation or proper documentation.

Igbokwe stated that he had been on his way to a meeting with the Anambra State Sports Development Commission when he was intercepted. The officers informed him that the Commissioner of Police needed to see him, but instead of being taken to the CP’s office, he was taken to the X-Squad office where a petition written by Iloenyosi was read to him.

The petition reportedly accused Igbokwe of cyberbullying, defamation, and falsely presenting himself as a lawyer, with Iloenyosi claiming he never attended the Nigerian Law School or was called to the Bar, a claims Igbokwe vehemently denies, stating he is a 33-year post-call lawyer and senior citizen aged 61.

The petition highlighted a string of procedural irregularities. Igbokwe claims he was issued an arraignment notice that lacked a stamp or the name of the issuing officer,violations of police protocol.

Furthermore, no formal charges were filed, and he was instead encouraged by X-Squad officers to “settle” with Iloenyosi.

“I rejected this move because I had already submitted a petition against Chikelue Iloenyosi to the Anambra State Government over his conduct as FA Chairman. The Governor has since directed an official investigation,” he said.

Despite refusing to settle, Igbokwe was later issued an arraignment notice to appear before the Federal High Court in Awka on September 24, 2025. However, upon appearing with legal representation and a surety from Nnewi, he discovered that:No case was listed in the court registry for that day,;Neither Iloenyosi nor any officer of the X-Squad was present and The Police Legal Department at the State CID was unaware of any such arraignment.

Igbokwe’s legal team argues that the arrest was not only illegal but also politically and personally motivated, alleging that Iloenyosi has repeatedly used his influence,especially through his wife, purported to be a senior-ranking police officer to intimidate and silence critics within the football community.

“This was a clear abuse of police apparatus for private vendetta. The Commissioner’s Monitoring Unit (X-Squad) is statutorily mandated to monitor police officers, not to meddle in civil or intra-organizational disputes,” the petition states.

The legal team is demanding:A full investigation into the conduct of the X-Squad officers involved;A public apology to Igbokwe for his unlawful detention and Adherence to proper legal procedure in any future investigations.

“We shall, upon failure to comply, proceed to enforce the Fundamental Rights of our client under Nigerian law, which have been clearly violated by the actions of the officers concerned,” the petition added.

Football Governance Under Scrutiny
This development marks another flashpoint in the volatile atmosphere surrounding Anambra State football administration. The Iloenyosi-led AnSFA has faced growing criticism over alleged irregularities, non-transparent practices, and power struggles that have hindered football development in the state.

With this latest legal challenge, attention is now firmly focused on how law enforcement is allegedly being used to stifle dissenting voices in sports administration.