Widow of slain businessman, children sue police for alleged illegal detention, rights violations

The applicants, through their lawyer, Chibuzor Obiajunwa, sought the immediate release of those in police custody, legal protection and guarantees for their private and family life.

A Lagos-based widow, Lovelyn Adimike, and two of her children have sued the Inspector-General of Police, the FCT Commissioner of Police, others for alleged rights violations, including unlawful detention over the death of her husband, Lucky Adimike, who is the father of two of the detainees.

The applicants, through their lawyer, Chibuzor Obiajunwa, sought the immediate release of those in police custody, legal protection and guarantees for their private and family life.

Mrs Adimike, her children Stephanie and Anthony Adimike, alongside a family friend, Comfort Ajibade, jointly filed the suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja against the police, IGP Olatunji Disu, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

An affidavit sworn by Mrs Adimike showed that she was not detained but her two children, Anthony and Stephanie, and their friend, Comfort Ajibade, have remained in custody since the discovery of her husband’s body on 15 May 2026 at their Abuja residence.

She wrote thqt the detainees are held at the FCT Intelligence Response Team detention facility, formerly the Special Anti-Robbery Squad headquarters, behind Area 3 Police Station, Gudu District, Abuja.

The suit sought an order directing the police authorities to “forthwith cease and stop all acts of the violation” of the applicants’ rights to life, dignity of the human person, personal liberty, private and family life, freedom of movement, peaceful assembly and association, equal protection before the law, ownership of property and the right to work.

In their fundamental rights enforcement suit filed on 3 June, the applicants urged the court to direct the police to charge them or any of them before a competent court if investigation establishes a prima facie case.

They further urged the court to compel the police to transmit the investigation file to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice for legal opinion and administrative action.

As of the time of this report, the case has not been assigned to any judge.

Death

Reports linked the death of the Lagos-based Mr Adimike, to a violent incident involving his son in Abuja.

The reports claimed that the son, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), stabbed his father at their residence in the Guzape area of the Federal Capital Territory. They suggested that the incident followed a domestic disagreement and a night outing involving family members.

The publication further stated that police arrested the son alongside other persons as investigations began into the circumstances of the death.

‘He was shot’

Contrary to those reports, Ms Adimike gave her own account of how her husband was killed and her husband’s body was found.

“I believe that contrary to stories being peddled that my husband had been stabbed to death, my husband had been shot dead and the gunshots that killed him were fired from a gun that had been fitted with a silencer to prevent the entire neighbourhood from hearing the gun when it was being fired in the silence of that night,” she said In the affidavit filed in support of the suit.

She said she had been married to the late Mr Adimike for almost 25 years and the marriage produced four children.

Her husband, a businessman, was said to have later developed interest in property business in Abuja in 2016, a development that led to frequent travel between Lagos and Abuja, according to the affidavit.

Their son, Anthony, was posted to Abuja for his national youth service, while Stephanie, 20, also came for industrial training, she added. She said this led her husband to rent a house in Guzape Abuja for the children, and where Mr Adimike also stayed whenever he visited FCT.

Mrs Adimike narrated that the unfortunate events began “on 11 May 2026, when her husband travelled to Abuja” while she remained in Lagos. The affidavit noted that on 13 May, he requested that Stephanie and Anthony ( their children) prepare stew and soup for him, and she sent a list of ingredients to her daughter.

She explained that Stephanie bought the ingredients on 14 May and cooked with Anthony that evening, while the deceased Mr Adimike recorded a video of the cooking himself and shared it on their family platform, the “Lucky Adimike Family”.

She said a friend to her daughter Comfort Ajibade, later visited the house that night and the children and Comfort went out for a night outing and returned the next day.

Mrs Adimike said she continued calling her husband the following morning, but he stopped responding. She explained that by 11 a.m. on 15 May, she became worried and instructed Anthony to return to the house and open his father’s bedroom door.

Anthony, she said, found his father lying lifeless inside the bedroom. She added that she instructed him to report the matter at Guzape Village Police Station, after which police officers arrived and took custody of the body.

The corpse was taken to Karu General Hospital, where police arrested Anthony. Stephanie and Comfort were also arrested later as the investigation widened, the affidavit noted.

Mrs Adimike said her husband’s brother arrived in Abuja on 16 May shortly before her arrival. She explained that he and his entourage later viewed the body at Karu General Hospital.

Officials later moved the corpse, which she described as displayed naked on a pallet. She said the image later circulated online.

According to Mrs Adimike, social media users thereafter accused Anthony of stabbing his father. She rejected the claim and insisted her husband was shot, citing alleged gunshot wounds.

“Having severally viewed the corpse of my late husband, I am aware that he has four gunshot wounds on the lower left chest which I am convinced is likely to have been the cause of his death. The document attached as Exhibit A8 bears me out.”

She said the body was later moved to the National Hospital, Abuja on 21 May for further procedures. Mrs Adimike explained that she could not witness the autopsy due to distress and appointed a representative.

Police, she alleged, ordered her representative out of the room before the procedure continued, after which the autopsy proceeded without her presence.

She said she filed the suit to challenge what she described as violations of their fundamental rights. Mrs Adimike added that the Attorney-General of the Federation would not act unless compelled by the court.

She said unknown persons later attempted to enter their Lagos home and claimed they were sent by her late husband’s brothers. She also said she learnt that a caveat was circulated online over his properties and debts.

Ms Adimike maintained that her husband was shot with a silenced weapon.