Police rescue Abuja woman chained by brother for 16 months

Police in Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have arrested a man accused of holding his sister captive in a locked room, bound by chains, for more than 16 months. The FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, described the discovery as one of the most dehumanizing scenes officers had encountered.

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Upon receipt of the report, I immediately dispatched a team of detectives from Katampe Division to the scene.

Officers dispatched to the scene following a distress call found the victim, Grace Aniekuoku, 36, in a shocking condition. She had been confined to the room, living in her own waste without any cleaning or care. Her hair had grown extensively, and she was severely emaciated.

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I ordered that they should invoke the police powers of ingress and liberation to gain access to the premises.

Upon gaining entry to the residence, which the suspect initially resisted, police invoked powers of ingress and liberation. The victim was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment, with her survival uncertain.

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The victim was seen in a highly dehumanising condition, where she had stayed for this long in her own faeces and excreta. She eats there, defecates there, nobody cleans it, nobody cares about her welfare.

Investigations suggest a disturbing motive: the suspect, Chinedu Aniekuoku, allegedly took the victim's son two years ago and subsequently imprisoned his sister to silence her inquiries about the child's whereabouts. Authorities suspect the child may have been taken for ritualistic purposes. Efforts are underway to locate the missing child, and the suspect remains in custody pending further investigation and charges.

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The suspect had forcefully taken away the victim’s son to an unknown location about two years ago and subsequently kept his sister in confinement to prevent her from raising any questions regarding the whereabouts of the child, who may have been used for sacrifice.