A prominent civil rights organization, the Congress of Civil Society (CCS), Anambra State chapter, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the state government demanding the immediate release of about 150 suspects allegedly being held without trial in detention camps operated by the local security outfit, Udo Ga Achi.
In a press briefing held in Awka, the state capital, the CCS chairman, Comrade Damian Ogudike, accused the security outfit of gross human rights violations, including prolonged detention without trial, and warned that failure to act would result in a court case against the Anambra State Government.
“The government must either release these individuals or hand them over to the Nigerian Police within the next seven days,” Ogudike declared. “We will not hesitate to take legal action against the state government for this blatant abuse of human dignity and the constitutional rights of Nigerian citizens.”
The group’s petition, titled “Operation of Illegal Detention Camp Set Up by Udo Ga Achi,” was addressed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo and copied to key officials, including the Commissioner of Police, the Director of State Security Services (DSS), and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
“It is with the greatest dismay that we petition your good office over the activities of Udo Ga Achi,” the petition read. “While we acknowledge their role in crime control, their current practices violate the legal provisions under which they were established, as well as the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The group cited viral videos alleging that approximately 150 individuals are being held in secret detention facilities in Awka and other locations across the state, with some suspects reportedly detained since January 2025.
“We seriously doubt if the law empowers this outfit to establish detention camps or hold individuals without handing them over to the police,” the petition continued. “We believe Your Excellency is unaware of these actions, and we call on you, as the Chief Security Officer of the state, to take immediate action and uphold justice.”
As pressure mounts, all eyes are now on the Anambra State Government for a response to what the Congress of Civil Society describes as a ticking human rights crisis.
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