Judge Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday received an update on the whereabouts of an elusive casefile on police offficers implicated in the disapperance of a businessman who was abducted by the officers from his home in 2017.
But police authorities have ignored the judgement since its delivery about 10 months ago.
Mrs Anozie, through her lawyer, Vincent Adodo, deciced to institute in December 2025 a contempt suit against the then-Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbotokun, for disobeying the court judgement.
Proceedings did not make significant prgress up till when Mr Egbetokun left office in February and incumbent IGP Tunji Disu immedatiately took over.
But months of persistent demands for compliance with the judgement seem to be gradually paying off, as Mr Adodo reported to the court on Monday that the casefile, long missing, had been found.
Mr Adodo informed the court that there had been progress in the efforts to recover the missing casefile.
“They have found the case file,” the lawyer said.
According to him, the respondents released the file about two weeks ago to enable his legal team to make photocopies. He said the photocopies and the original copies were returned to the police for stamping.
“I don’t know what is holding them. The only thing they need to do is just to certify it,” he said, adding that no further action had been taken since then.:
Responding, the judge said, “At least something is happening.”
Two lawyers, Comfort Olowomoran and Mariam Kadir, were in court to monitor the the proceedings on behalf of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
But the police were not represented by any lawyer.
Backstory: Nine-year quest for justice
Mr Anozie, whose wife instituted the suit, has not been seen by his family members since his abduction in Lagos by police officers attached to the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) more than nine years ago. The SARS operatives travelled from their base in Awkuzu, Anambra State, to abduct Mr Anozie in Lagos in June 2017.
Since then, his spouse, Mrs Anozie, has doggedly made the rounds of courts and the #EndSARS Judicial Panel of Inquiry, seeking answers about her husband’s disappearance.
She had petitioned the NHRC in 2020 over her husband’s disappearance.
The commission referred the matter to the Abuja #EndSARS Judicial Panel of Inquiry, but the case was declared inconclusive after the police repeatedly ignored summonses and failed to produce the officers accused of involvement in Mr Anozie’s abduction and the case file.
The officers implicated in the case are Anthony Obiozor Ikechukwu, an assistant superintendent of police; Uzochukwu Emeana, a sergeant; John Eze, also known as T Boy; Oriole; and Sunday Okpe, a superintendent of police. Some of them were said to have retired from the police.
In her quest for justice, Mrs Anozie has obtained a series of rulings from different judges ordering her missing husband to be produced and the police officers implicated in his disappearance to be held accountable.
The latest in the series of court orders was issued by Mrs Nyako in September 2025, during the tenure of former IGP Egbetokun, directing the IGP to produce the indicted officers and multiple case files connected with the matter.
The court also awarded N2 million in favour of Mrs Anozie.
Slow-paced contempt suit hearing
To avert such a situation, the judge offered Mr Egbetokun an opportunity for an amicable resolution to ensure compliance with the judgment.
After the warning, she adjourned the case until 23 April.
However, the 23 April proceedings stalled after it was observed that the motion was addressed to Mr Egbetokun instead for the new IGP Tunde Disu, who had at the time taken over the reins of police leadership.
Judge considers handing over case
Before Mrs Anozie gave the update on the casefile on Monday, Judge Nyako said she was considering transfering the contempt case to another judge for determinatino.
“I have been thinking about this matter, and I am of the opinion that I should send this case to one of my brother judges to take the contempt proceedings,” Mrs Nyako said in the middle of Monday’s proceedings. “I feel I have been so involved in the matter.”
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Mr Adodo told the court that his client was comfortable with her continuing to hear the matter.
Responding, Mrs Nyako affirmed Mrs Anozie’s positive dosposition towards her handling of the proceedings.
Yet, she decided to take one week to decide whether to continue with the contempt proceedings hand over the case to another judge.
She adjourned the case until 24 July to take a decision.
Mr Egbetokun resigned from office in late February at President Bola Tinubu’s request paving the way for Mr Disu to succeed him.
He also promised “a more professional and more accountable police force in Nigeria.”
