Rights Group Petitions Enugu Chief Judge, Mbah Over Unlawful Arrest, Detention Of POS Operator

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Wednesday, June 18th, 2025

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A human rights group, Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN); has petitioned the Chief Judge of Enugu State over unlawful arrest and detention of a POS operator.

Mr. Omotara Yusuf and subsequent withdrawal of the sum of N4,995,000 (Four million nine hundred and ninety five thousand naira from his Access bank account over two Courts Orders made by a Senior Magistrate, J.O. Umezulike GD 1.

It said the Orders had Two different signatures of the Assistant Chief Registrar Mrs. F.N. Nosike, and dated 26TH May 2023 and 6th June 2023, respectively in SUIT NO. MES/313/2023.

The petitioned which was copied to the state governor, Dr. Peter Mbah’ was signed by president of the organization, Barrister Olu Omotayo, and made available to newsmen Wednesday in Enugu

It read thus: “We write to you in respect of the above-mentioned matter on behalf of Mr. Omotara Yusuf a business man who trade in the name and style TEEJAT VIDEO MART, a registered Access Bank POS Agent at Niyi Complex, Abekoko, Ifo, Ifo Local Government, Ogun State.

“We had earlier made a complaint via a petition dated 9th April 2025, to the Chief Registrar of the High Court of Enugu State on this matter but yet to get any response hence the escalation of this protest letter to your office.

According to Omotayo, “Mr. Omotara Yusuf complained to us that he was detained unlawfully for almost one week (from 26th of June to 30th of June 2023) at the Nigerian Police Area Command of Sango Ota, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, based on two Court Orders that were procured by Barrister Chidiogo Maduekwe with the connivance of Mrs. F.N. Nosike, an Assistant Chief Registrar at the Magistrate Court, Enugu South Magisterial District.

“Mr. Omotara Yussuf was not a party in the suit and did not had any relationship with the applicant in the suit Mr. Umeizu Nzube, before his arrest and unlawful detention and the alleged removal of the sum of N4,995,000 (Four million nine hundred and ninety five thousand naira) from his Access Bank POS 0098887612.

“The two Court orders are attached herewith. Mr. Omotara Yusuf informed us that on 24th of May, 2023, Mr. Alabi Akeem and his friends approached him in his office at Abekoko, Ifo, Ifo Local Government, Ogun State for a transaction.

“They thereafter transferred the sum of N4,995,000 :00K, to his Access Bank POS 0098887612, and collected cash of the equivalent sum which they claimed they wanted to use to purchase a vehicle. They paid him (N50,000 :00K), on the transaction as POS charges.

“Mr. Omotara Yusuf further stated that on the 26th day of May 2023, his account was placed on Post No Debit (PND) purportedly acting pursuant to an order of the Senior Magistrate Court Enugu presided over by Hon. J.O. Umezulike.

“He further stated that on 23rd day of June the sum of N4,995,000 was transferred from his Access Bank account to Alabi Akeems’ Kuda Microfinance Bank 2012369128, in compliance with the said Court Order; and when he went to his bank to ask why the deduction of the money from his account, the same Court Order was used by the Police Area Command of Sango Ota, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government, Ogum State, to detain him from 26th of June to 30th of June 2023.

“Omotara Yusuf stated that on 26th October 2023, he travelled to Enugu, to make enquiry about the two Court Orders with different signatures of Mrs. F.N. Nosike on them.

The petition added that “Omotara said he was directed to the Assistant Chief Registrar Mrs. F.N. Nosike, who he met in her office and when he gave her the Court Order for perusal, Mrs. Nosike, said the signatures were done on her behalf and she does not know anything about it and she has been trying to stop her staff from forging her signature.

“Omotara Yusuf further stated that Mrs. Nosike later called for a meeting in her office and the following people were in attendance:

A), Umeizu Nzube the Applicant in the Suit and B), Barrister Chidiogo Maduekwe, the Applicants’ lawyer, (C) Omotara Yusuf and his brother who came with him named Alhaji Alaro, (D) a lawyer Omotara Yusuf sought his services at the Magistrate Court on that fateful day named Charles Ifenze Ugwu.

“Omotara said at the meeting Umeizu Nzube promised to refund his money on January 29th 2024, but till date the money is yet to be refunded and when he called Mrs. F.N. Nosike to inform her, she said he should go and arrest Umeizu Nzube and Barrister Chidiogo Maduekwe, that she has done her best.

“We submit that the Court is the last hope of the common man and therefore it is incumbent on the authorities including the Enugu State government not to allow this rule of the jungle to prevail on the Rule of Law in the state.

The group said “We further submit that the detention of Mr. Yusuf, based on the court orders was a ploy to intimidate him not to challenge the unlawful removal of moneys from his account by this syndicate who deceived the court that money was mistakenly transferred to Mr. Yusufs’ account.

“It is worrisome that the Learned Magistrate made an order for arrest and detention of the owner of the account who is based in Ogun State and who never appears before the court or knows the Applicant in the case who claimed that he mistakenly transferred money to an unknown person.

“We submit that some Court officials led by Mrs. F. N. Nosike, and aided by Barrister Chidiogo Maduekwe, used the instrumentality of the Court to defraud Mr. Omotara Yusuf and detained him in a civil suit in which he was never a party.

The organization said “we urge you to in the interest of justice invite Mrs. F. N. Nosike, with a view to authenticate the signatures on the orders of the Court which she denied.

It stated that “the actions of Mrs. F. N. Nosike and her cohorts are an act of perversion of the course of Justice and an attack on the rule of law in Nigeria.

“Citizens of this great country should be protected by the Court, Government and its agencies from this type of brazen attack on the Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights of citizens.