A Chief District Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, has struck out a criminal case against a woman, Mrs. Ngozi Ishola Umunna, and ordered her immediate discharge.
This followed a directive from the Attorney-General of the Federation to withdraw the matter.
The ruling, delivered at the Dutse Alhaji division of the court, brought an end to the case marked CR/DUT/1578/2025, instituted by the Commissioner of Police against the defendant.
In the discharge order dated April 1, 2026, obtained by SaharaReporters on Monday, the presiding magistrate, His Worship Ibrahim Yusuf Alkali, granted the application for withdrawal made by counsel representing the Attorney-General of the Federation.
“I have listened to the application as prayed by the learned counsel for the Attorney-General of the Federation. It is the state’s case; the application is granted as prayed,” the magistrate ruled.
“This case NO. CR/DUT/1578/25 is hereby struck out and the defendant Ngozi Ishola Umunna is discharged,” the court added.
The court further directed the police commissioner “to release to Mrs. Ngozi Umunna all her items that were recovered from her in the course of this case”.
The discharge comes amid serious allegations of rights violations raised earlier by a civil society organisation, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, which had petitioned the FCT Police Command over the handling of the case.
In a petition dated January 20, 2026, and copied to the Police Service Commission, the group accused officers at Garki Police Station, including Divisional Police Officer Mr. Ahmodu Mohammed, of “grave abuse of police powers.”
According to the organisation, Mrs. Ishola was arrested late on December 10, 2025, at her residence in Area 11, Abuja, under circumstances it described as unlawful and degrading.
“At the time of her arrest, she was on her menstrual cycle, unwell, and leaving behind two very young children aged four and two, both with special needs, without any arrangement for their care,” RULAAC stated in the petition.
The group alleged that the defendant was detained for “two nights and three days without access to legal counsel, family, food, water, or her prescribed medication,” describing the process as “arbitrary, punitive, and manifestly unlawful.”
RULAAC further claimed that the case stemmed from allegations made by a complainant, Mr. James Asika Onwordi, following what it described as the woman’s refusal of sexual advances.
“She was later informed that she was accused of blackmailing the complainant with a purported sex video after she allegedly rejected his sexual advances,” the petition said.
The organisation accused police officers of siding with the complainant and using the criminal justice process to intimidate the defendant.
“Officers acted not as impartial law enforcement officers but as agents of the complainant,” RULAAC alleged.
The petition also detailed claims of prolonged detention, noting that Mrs. Ishola was remanded at Suleja Correctional Centre for over a month, from December 12, 2025, to January 19, 2026, before being released.
“During this period, her two young children aged 4 and 2 years respectively were left vulnerable and unattended for over one month and one week,” the group said, warning of potential emotional and social consequences.
It further alleged that the defendant was subjected to degrading treatment, including being detained alongside male suspects, verbally abused, and pressured to withdraw money from her bank account.
“When she resisted and demanded to write her statement instead, she was returned to the cell as punishment,” RULAAC stated, adding that the DPO allegedly threatened her with imprisonment if she failed to comply.
The organisation also raised concerns about possible digital intrusion, alleging that the defendant received multiple security alerts indicating attempts to access her mobile devices while in police custody.