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Dr. Fabian Ihekweme, the former Commissioner for Foreign Affairs in the Imo State has now spent over sixty days (two months) in detention for criticizing the current governor of the State, Hope Uzodimma.
Mr Ihekweme was the former commissioner for foreign affairs in Governor Hope Uzodinma’s first term.
Mr Ihekweme became a staunch critic of Mr Uzodinma’s administration in 2024.
His arrest came days after he raised an alarm that the governor was plotting to arrest him.
On November 27th, 2024, a Human Rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju posted on his Facebook page that Ihekweme was detained at his Abuja residence in the presence of his family and transported to Owerri, Imo State.
Adeyanju described the arrest as an attack on free speech.
“Dr Fabian Ihekweme, a critic, was abducted by policemen yesterday in front of his wife and children in their Abuja home and taken to Owerri. His crime: criticizing Hope Uzodimma, Imo State governor,” Adeyanju alleged.
Also, his wife, Excel Fabian Ihekweme, in a video clip circulating on Facebook, claimed that Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State sent “unknown men” who picked up her husband.
However, a day later, the Imo State Police Command confirmed that Ihekweme was lawfully arrested and not abducted as claimed.
In a statement, the Command’s spokesman, Henry Okoye had explained that Ihekweme’s arrest followed a formal petition from the Imo Democratic Alliance (IDA).
The petition accused Ihekweme of making seditious and inflammatory statements aimed at inciting civil unrest within the state.
The police did not give details of the allegation of “seditious and inflammatory publications” against Ihekweme.
Since then, Ihekweme’s detention has ignited public backlash, with activists and political commentators accusing Governor Uzodimma’s administration of stifling opposition.
On December 5th, 2024, Mr Ihekweme sued the Nigerian Police over his prolonged arrest and detention.
He filed the fundamental rights enforcement suit before a Federal High Court in Abuja, demanding an order for his immediate release, having been arrested on November 27 in Abuja and whisked to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Owerri for detention without trial.
In the suit filed by his counsel, Kingdom Okere, Esq, the citizen is asking the court to make an order “compelling, mandating and directing the defendants (Nigerian Police Force Headquarters in Abuja and Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command) to immediately release or grant the applicant bail, pending the investigation, or charge him to court, as stipulated in Section 35(4) & (5) and 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended).”
He also demanded the sum of N5 million in damages against the Imo State Command of the police for the “unlawful harassment, assault abduction/arrest and detention, persecution.
A call for his release
A lawyer and former Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Kelechi Nwagwu lamented that keeping Ihekweme in detention without charging him to court isn’t good for the state.
“Our state is now seen as lawless and abusers of fundamental human rights. It’s very unfortunate that this is happening in a democratic dispensation.”
The former Speaker of Parliament asked those in charge to respect Ihekweme’s rights as a human being and his constitutional rights as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution, 1999 (as amended).
“We’ve kept quiet believing that reason will prevail, but it’s two months now, and nothing has happened. Those responsible for this gross constitutional abuse should release him without further delay or charge him to court”, Nwagwu pleaded.
Also, an activist broadcaster, Chinonso Uba (Nonso Nkwa) while calling for his release via his Facebook page on Friday, urged the Imo government not to allow Ihekweme to die in detention.
Uba noted that the ex-commissioner should be charged to court immediately or be released.
A family source who craved anonymity, told CrimeFacts last week that, Ihekweme’s wife, Excel, recently, also begged Governor Hope Uzodimma to release her husband unconditionally.
