The family of 26-year-old bricklayer, Ndudi Valentine Mmadudilim, from Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State, has raised alarm over what they describe as the unlawful arrest, prolonged detention, and possible disappearance of their son nearly two years after he was allegedly taken into police custody without trial.

The distraught family, from the Mmadudilim kindred, accused security operatives and some officials within the Nigeria Police Force of withholding information about his whereabouts, insisting that authorities must immediately produce him “dead or alive.”

Speaking on behalf of the family, Amaka Usubor, a 32-year-old nurse and elder sister to the detainee, said the family has lived in anguish since November 2023, when her brother was first arrested.

“We have been in pain and have lost all happiness for the past two years since the unlawful arrest and detention of our brother, Ndudi Valentine Mmadudilim,” she said.

According to her, Mmadudilim was initially arrested in 2023 by operatives of the Anambra Vigilante Service, allegedly led by Jude Ononuju, said to be chairman of the Ozubulu branch of the group.

She claimed he was detained for three days at a vigilante facility before being transferred to Ugwu-Olie Police Station and later arraigned before the Chief Magistrate Court GD2 sitting in Ozubulu.

He was reportedly charged with cultism and unlawful possession of a locally made double-barrel pistol in Suit No: MOZ/7C/2024, prosecuted by Inspector Ikemefuna Nnamani.

However, the family said court proceedings later revealed inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case. According to a Certified True Copy of the proceedings, the presiding magistrate, O.I. Nworah, granted bail after it was discovered that the alleged confessional statement presented by police was unsigned and unverified.

The family also claimed the vigilante operative who allegedly made the arrest did not testify that Mmadudilim was found with any firearm, contrary to earlier police claims.

Based on the court’s findings, bail was granted on August 15, 2024, in the sum of ₦500,000 with two sureties, under Section 131(1) of the Anambra State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2022. The court also ordered that the case file be forwarded to the Attorney-General’s office.

In a dramatic turn, Usubor alleged that while complying with court procedures in April 2024, her brother was rearrested at the court premises by operatives of the Police Rapid Response Squad (RRS).

She said he was taken back to Ugwu-Olie Police Station and later transferred to the RRS facility in Ukwulu, where he has allegedly remained in detention without being formally charged.

She identified an Investigating Police Officer (IPO), Ndukwe, as the officer handling the case.

Usubor further alleged that when she sought updates, the officer initially denied that her brother was in custody. She said the Divisional Police Officer at Ugwu-Olie later confirmed that Mmadudilim was being held by the RRS and advised the family to inquire further.

According to her, subsequent visits to the RRS office were unsuccessful. She accused the IPO of denying her access to her brother, verbally abusing her, and later introducing a fresh allegation linking him to a murder case.

She also claimed the officer failed to produce any complainant or victim’s relative, instead showing what she described as an “AI-generated photograph” as evidence.

“When I challenged the authenticity of the image, he became aggressive and sent me out,” she alleged.

Usubor further suggested that the case may be rooted in a personal dispute involving a woman, claiming tensions between her brother and Jude Ononuju stemmed from rivalry over a female companion.

She alleged that attempts by village elders to resolve the matter failed, and that Ononuju had previously boasted that Mmadudilim would die in detention due to his police connections. However, Ononuju could not be reached for comment at the time of filing this report.

When contacted, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Orutugu Ikioye, reportedly said he was not in office when the case began and referred inquiries to the RRS Commander, Orode Chidubem Matthew.

The RRS commander, according to the family, denied that anyone named Valentine was in their custody. He, however, later took journalists and Amaka Usubor to Awka to meet a Deputy Commissioner of Police, but after a private meeting lasting about 30 minutes, returned to say the officer would not speak to the press.

As of the time of filing this report, the whereabouts of Ndudi Valentine Mmadudilim remain unknown, with no official detention record made public and no fresh charges confirmed.

The case raises concerns about due process, prolonged detention without trial, and accountability within law enforcement agencies.

For the Mmadudilim family, however, the demand remains simple and urgent: “Show us our brother — dead or alive.”