By Henry Ojelu
ABUJA — A woman, Doris Ojuederie, has asked the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, to stop the Nigeria Police Force from arresting, detaining, intimidating or harassing her over a dispute arising from her planned marriage to Ifeanyi Ezenwaogene.
Ojuederie and Ezenwaogene filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Inspector-General of Police, Nigeria Police Force, Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Police Service Commission, DPO Galadimawa Police Station and three officers attached to the National Cybercrime Centre, NPF-NCCC.
Also joined as respondent is Mrs Fibiawari Jonathan, whom Ojuederie accused of allegedly instigating the police actions against her.
In the motion ex-parte filed through their counsel, Terkaa Aondo, SAN, the applicants sought interim orders restraining the respondents from arresting, detaining, threatening, intimidating or otherwise interfering with their liberty, movement and private life pending determination of the substantive suit.
Ojuederie alleged in her affidavit that she was arrested and detained on August 6, 2026, after police officers attached to the NPF-NCCC arrived at her residence in Jabi, Abuja.
She claimed her phones were seized for forensic examination and that officers pressured her to write a statement despite her request to have her lawyer present.
She further alleged that she was compelled to apologise to Fibiawari and was eventually released on bail following her lawyer’s intervention.
According to her, police officers have continued to invite and threaten her since her release.
She said: “Since I left the station on the 6th of August, 2026, the Police … have been calling me persistently threatening to arrest, seize my phones, International Passport and detain me.”
The applicant also alleged that the police were threatening to confiscate her international passport and place an international travel ban on her.
She said the continued threats had left her living “in constant fear” of another arrest and affected her ability to move freely.
Ojuederie alleged that the dispute arose after Fibiawari, whom she said she introduced to Ezenwaogene, allegedly developed an interest in her fiancé.
She claimed she reported the matter to Fibiawari’s husband after discovering what she described as an affair between them.
She also alleged that armed police officers accompanied by Fibiawari visited her residence on July 10, 2026, in an attempt to arrest her.
The applicants claimed Ezenwaogene was also being harassed and invited by the police over the matter.
They contended that the dispute was substantially civil and matrimonial in nature and did not justify the alleged coercive police actions.
Their counsel argued that their rights under sections 34, 35, 41 and 46 of the 1999 Constitution were being threatened, urging the court to preserve their liberty pending determination of the substantive suit.
Counsel submitted that “the purpose of an interim injunction is to maintain the status quo” and prevent the substantive action from being rendered nugatory.
The applicants, however, stated that the proposed order would not prevent the police from investigating “any genuine criminal offence disclosed by credible evidence” or acting in accordance with due process.
They urged the court to grant the interim orders in the interest of justice.
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