A Nigerian surveyor, Mr Emmanuel Erhioyovwe Ighorhiohwunu, has petitioned the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice over what he described as unethical and contemptuous conduct by senior police officers in Delta State in connection with the death and disappearance of his late father’s corpse.
In a petition dated October 15, 2025, Ighorhiohwunu, who is also the eldest son of the late Mr. Joseph Ighorhiohwunu and the 1st Applicant in an ongoing case before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, accused three senior officers of the Delta State Police Command of interfering with a pending international court case and aiding an unlawful burial.
The officers named in the petition are CSP Labe Joseph (DPO, Ekpan Division), CSP Omosetemi Agbede-Zuokumor (DPO, Ugborikoko Division), and ACP Aliyu Shaba (Area Commander, Okpara Inland, Ethiope East Local Government Area).
According to the petition, the disputed matter forms the subject of Suit No: ECW/CCJ/APP/38/25 – Mr. Emmanuel Ighorhiohwunu & Anor v. The Federal Republic of Nigeria, currently pending before the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja. The suit concerns the mysterious death and disappearance of the corpse of Mr. Joseph Ighorhiohwunu, with allegations of ritual activities and an illegal cemetery located at No. 127 Urhugbe Street, Okpara Inland, Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State.
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Mr. Ighorhiohwunu stated that his late father died on November 21, 2024, after being treated for five days at Group Christian Medical Hospital, Mosheshe Estate, Effurun, without any clear medical diagnosis. The remains were later said to have been transferred to the Nigerian Navy Hospital, Effurun, which, by a letter dated February 18, 2025, formally denied having the corpse in its custody.
Following the confusion, the Ekpan, Ugborikoko, and Ughelli police divisions reportedly launched investigations into both the cause of death and the disappearance of the body, yet the corpse remains missing nearly a year later.
Despite the active investigation, the surveyor alleged that certain individuals had announced a burial ceremony for October 25, 2025, without the consent of the immediate family. He further claimed that the police officers named in the petition had “tolerated and supervised” preparations for the burial instead of securing the scene and preserving possible evidence.
He described their actions as obstruction of justice, abuse of office, and gross misconduct, arguing that the officers’ conduct undermines the ongoing ECOWAS judicial process.
Court documents referenced in the petition indicate that the applicants had, on September 16, 2025, filed a Motion on Notice for Interim Measures before the ECOWAS Court to restrain any burial or interference with the remains pending the determination of the suit. A follow-up letter requesting a hearing date was reportedly sent to the Court’s Chief Registrar on October 9, 2025.
Ighorhiohwunu further warned that the actions of the police officers contravene Article 15 of the Revised ECOWAS Treaty and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Cap A9, LFN 2004), adding that their conduct could expose Nigeria to contempt proceedings before the regional court.
He therefore urged the Attorney-General of the Federation to:
Order an immediate investigation into the alleged misconduct of the three officers;
Direct the Inspector-General of Police to suspend the planned burial pending the outcome of investigations and the ECOWAS case; and
Uphold the authority of the ECOWAS Court, ensuring Nigeria’s compliance with its constitutional and international obligations on justice, dignity, and due process.
Mr. Ighorhiohwunu emphasized that the issue “is not a mere family dispute” but one involving suspected ritual killing, unlawful disposal of human remains, and interference with an international judicial process.
The petition was copied to the Chief Registrar of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Abuja, for record and further action.
