Widespread outrage has erupted in Enugu State following the arrest and alleged assault of social media content creator Ezema Kelechi, known online as “Kelwizzy,” after the Nsukka Local Government Chairman, Engr. Jude Asogwa, described his actions as a “capital offence”.
Kelechi, who gained online attention for posting videos highlighting the dilapidated state of local roads, was reportedly lured from his home on August 5 under the guise of a paid video shout-out request. According to his family and the Nigerian Observatory for Human Rights (NOHR), individuals identifying as neighborhood watch operatives forced him into a vehicle, beat him, and brought him to a location near Amagbo Primary School where he was further assaulted with cable wires before being handed over to the police.
He was initially detained at the Nsukka Police Area Command—where an officer reportedly confirmed he was held on Asogwa’s orders—and has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Enugu.
In a video posted on social media, Chairman Asogwa was captured addressing visitors pleading for Kelechi’s release, stating:“The genesis of the problem is that Kelechi went to where the Enugu State Government is constructing a road and said it is being done by a private individual… It is a very capital offence, misinforming the public, deceiving them, setting the public against the government.”
Speaking earlier with SaharaReporters, Asogwa rejected claims that Kelechi was targeted for criticizing bad roads. Instead, he maintained that the creator misinformed the public by attributing a state-funded road project to a private philanthropist, despite visible signposts identifying the state government, client, and contractor.Asogwa further accused Kelechi of cyberbullying and character defamation. While confirming that community members and local youths have been appealing for the influencer’s release, Asogwa denied any involvement in physical abuse, stating he had no knowledge of Kelechi being beaten.
The incident has sparked severe backlash from civil society organizations and legal figures who condemn the use of local security outfits to target critics.Comrade Olu Omotayo, an Enugu-based lawyer and President of the Civil Rights Realization and Advancement Network (CRRAN), strongly criticized the council chairman’s stance: “I think the fact that someone pointed out the dilapidated state of roads in parts of the state and the need to carry out repairs does not in any way constitute an offence. Citizens should be able to ask questions in respect of government projects. The government must be accountable to the people in a democracy.” Omotayo added that citizens demanding accountability regarding how state allocations are spent cannot be labeled as engaging in cyberbullying.
Juwon Sanyaolu, National Coordinator of the TakeItBack Movement, described the abduction, assault, and detention of Kelwizzy as a disturbing attack on citizens’ right to demand accountability from those in power. Demanding Kelwizzy’s immediate and unconditional release, Sanyaolu said his continued detention over criticism of public authorities is wholly unacceptable. He called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the neighbourhood watch operatives who reportedly abducted and tortured him, and demanded a transparent investigation to establish the full chain of responsibility for the abuse. “Public officials cannot turn criticism, citizen journalism, and exposure of failing infrastructure into criminal offences,” Sanyaolu said.
The public outcry continues to grow online and locally, with residents questioning the authority of local neighborhood watch groups to seize, assault, and detain citizens over public interest posts.
