NYSC Corps Member Laments Police Harassment, Goes Into Hiding After Dad's Arrest In Imo

Benton, in a petition dated September 13, 2026, alleged that his father was arrested by armed police officers at his residence in Umukor, Nkwerre Local Government Area of Imo State, on September 1 and detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Owerri, until September 5.

The petition was addressed to the IGP through the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, and copied to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Director-General of the NYSC.

Benton alleged that about six armed police officers arrived at his father’s residence while the elderly man was preparing breakfast and took him directly to the State CID in Owerri.

According to him, the officers bypassed the Nkwerre Police Station and did not immediately tell his father the offence for which he was being arrested.

He alleged that his father was later informed that the police action was connected to allegations made by his elder sister, Patricia Benton, who he said is based in the United Kingdom.

“My father remained in hostile police custody from 1st September 2026 until 5th September 2026, when he was eventually released on highly restrictive bail terms,” the petitioner alleged.

Benton further claimed that his father suffered physical and emotional distress following the detention and had subsequently required medical treatment.

The NYSC member said the situation later extended to him after he allegedly received information that police officers were looking for him over an accusation that he had threatened Patricia Benton.

He denied the allegation, saying he had not spoken to her for almost a year and did not have her telephone number.

“I categorically and firmly deny this allegation. I have not spoken to Mrs. Patricia Benton for almost one year, and I do not even possess her telephone number,” he said in the petition.

Benton said he was willing to cooperate with any legitimate investigation but objected to what he described as an attempt to arrest him without following transparent procedures.

“I am prepared to cooperate fully with any legitimate, untainted investigation, but I respectfully submit that I should not be subjected to harassment, arbitrary arrest, or physical persecution over an allegation that has been entirely manufactured to force our family into compliance over a civil property issue,” he alleged.

He claimed that the alleged police pursuit had forced him to abandon his Place of Primary Assignment (PPA) in Abia State and go into hiding.

The development, according to him, has put his mandatory national service at risk and severely disrupted his livelihood.

Benton also said he was currently suffering from malaria and had been unable to safely leave his hiding place to seek medical treatment because of his alleged fear of arrest.

“I am currently down with a severe bout of malaria. Because I am running for my life from these corrupt officers, I have completely lost my freedom of movement,” he alleged.

He also said his farming activities had been affected because he could no longer access his farm to tend to his cucumber crops.

“Because I have been forced into hiding, my cucumber crops are currently suffering and dying due to my inability to tend to them. This has caused me massive financial loss, deep emotional pain, and uncertainty about my survival,” he stated.

The petitioner alleged that the dispute arose from a family property matter and expressed concern that the police were being used to settle what he described as a private dispute.

He therefore asked the IGP to investigate the circumstances surrounding his father’s arrest and detention, including the identities and authority of the officers involved.

He also asked the police authorities to establish whether there is credible evidence supporting the allegation that he threatened Patricia Benton.

Benton further appealed to the IGP to ensure that if the police require his presence for questioning, he should be formally invited rather than allegedly pursued.

“If the police genuinely require my presence for a legitimate investigation, I request that I be formally and safely invited through transparent procedures, rather than being pursued like a criminal, which has forced me into hiding while battling malaria,” he stated.

He also asked the authorities to investigate whether officers at the State CID, Owerri, acted outside lawful police procedures in handling the matter.

The petitioner said he remained willing to answer any legitimate allegation against him.

“I wish to make it absolutely clear that I have nothing to hide. If there is a genuine, lawful complaint against me, I am completely willing to report to an uncompromised formation to respond through the appropriate legal process,” he said.

He urged the NHRC to monitor the matter and ensure the safety and protection of both himself and his father.

The Nigerian Constitution protects personal liberty, while Nigerian courts have held that an arrest based on reasonable suspicion can be lawful but that unlawful arrest or detention can constitute a violation of fundamental rights. Courts have also emphasized the requirement that a person arrested over an alleged offence should be informed of the nature of the allegation.

In one Supreme Court case involving an arrest at a residence without the person initially being informed of an offence, the court considered claims of violations of fundamental rights arising from the arrest and detention.

However, the legality of the arrest and detention in the present matter would depend on the specific circumstances, including the complaint against the father, the basis for the arrest, the evidence available to the police and the procedures followed by the officers.