A man facing serious kidney-related health challenges, Chief Ugochukwu Ibekwe, has accused the Special Prosecution Team of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Petroleum Product Theft and Sundry Energy Crimes of unlawfully detaining him despite being granted bail by competent courts.
In a petition submitted through his lawyer, Damian Okoro (SAN), Ibekwe alleged that he has remained in custody for more than 65 days under the supervision of CSP Omar John Sini, the Head of Investigation of the task force, over allegations linked to illegal bunkering and petroleum-related offences.
According to the petition, Ibekwe was initially arrested on February 14, 2026, over alleged involvement in illegal petroleum dealings, an accusation his legal team said remains unproven. They argued that despite the constitutional guarantee of innocence until proven guilty, he has continued to be held under what they described as harsh and unlawful conditions.
The petition claimed that the bail conditions first imposed by the investigating officer were excessive and deliberately structured to make compliance difficult, forcing the defendant to seek legal redress through the courts.
Following his arraignment at the Federal High Court in Umuahia, the court granted him bail under what his lawyers described as liberal conditions. However, Ibekwe alleged that shortly after meeting the bail requirements and regaining freedom on April 2, 2026, he was immediately re-arrested by operatives of the same task force over fresh allegations of money laundering.
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He further claimed that since the re-arrest, no formal charges have been filed against him in relation to the new allegations, yet he has remained in detention.
His legal team later approached the High Court in Oyigbo, Rivers State, where another bail order was granted on April 21, 2026. Despite this, Ibekwe alleged that authorities have continued to hold him, describing the action as a violation of court orders and an abuse of power.
The petition, which was addressed to the Inspector General of Police and the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, and copied to the President, Senate President, and National Security Adviser, called for his immediate release and disciplinary action against the investigating officer.
Ibekwe also raised concerns about his deteriorating health, stating that he is a kidney transplant patient suffering from hypertension and that prolonged detention has worsened his condition.
Responding to the allegations, CSP Omar John Sini confirmed receiving the court orders but said the second bail order was not honoured because the prosecution had filed an appeal against it.
He maintained that the task force acted within the law and insisted that the suspect remains under investigation for both crude oil theft and alleged money laundering, stressing that the police have the legal authority to investigate all criminal offences.
