Hundreds of youths took to the streets of Enugu, the state capital, to protest the alleged extrajudicial killing of a young celebrity, Izuchukwu Nnaji, popularly known as “Stone,” by operatives of the police anti-cult unit.
Nnaji was reportedly arrested on Tuesday night after celebrating his birthday at The Bull Hotel in Enugu, where he was lodging. Operatives are said to have picked him up at the hotel around 3am on Wednesday. His body was found on Thursday at the morgue of Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUT Parklane). The circumstances of his death remain unclear, and the Enugu State Police Command has yet to publicly explain the incident.
News of the death triggered protests, with hundreds of youths marching to Government House to demand justice and the arrest of the officers allegedly involved. Protesters carried placards and described the killing as extrajudicial. Nnaji’s elder brother, Ogochukwu Nnaji, confirmed that the family found the body at the morgue. “He is not a cultist, he is not an armed robber,” he said.
He said the family went to the hotel when they could not locate Nnaji, where management told them anti-cult operatives had come in the night and taken him away. “We have already confirmed that my brother is dead and dumped his body at Parklane Hospital,” he added.
Efforts to obtain the command’s reaction were unsuccessful. The spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, neither answered calls nor replied to a text message as of the time of filing this report. The incident has renewed attention on earlier allegations of extrajudicial killings involving the command’s anti-cult unit. In October 2024, anti-cult operatives killed popular Ogene musician Okezie Chikezie Mba, known as “Igbo Jah.” The command identified the officer involved as Inspector Ozonwanji Joseph of its Anti-Cult Tactical Squad.
Ndukwe confirmed the incident at the time and said the then Commissioner of Police, Kanayo Uzuegbu, had consoled the family and assured them that the officer and anyone else found culpable would be sanctioned. He said the action would serve as a deterrent.
