The wife of a notable Nigerian activist and government critic has alleged that there has been a series of intimidation and threats against her family. A wife to one Amorous Amarachukwu Ani, a 40-year-old businessman and socio-political commentator from Enugu State, pointed out in a statement that she and her daughter have been living in fear even after several complaints to the Nigerian police. She also pointed out her husband is being sought but has now included the whole family.
According to her, it’s on record that her husband’s ordeal, began with his participation in the nationwide #EndSARS protests in October 2020. He was among the protesters at the now-infamous Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, where eyewitnesses and Amnesty International reported that the Nigerian military opened fire on unarmed demonstrators.
She narrated that after granting interviews to local media to describe the event as a “massacre” orchestrated by the government, Ani, her husband was at several times detained and tortured by police and other state security services.
Ani’s profile as a dissident grew significantly in the lead-up to Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election. A fervent supporter of opposition candidate Peter Obi, Ani took to the streets and social media to accuse the ruling All-Progressive Congress (APC) of planning to rig the election. He publicly alleged the party was repeating a 2015 strategy of importing militants from neighboring Sahel countries to vote and incite violence.
The situation turned critically dangerous in March 2023. A close friend and business associate, Emmanuel Igwe, confided in Ani that two of his rental Hilux vehicles had been used by APC operatives to assassinate a high-profile political rival: Barrister Oyibo Chukwu, a senatorial candidate and former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association in Enugu. Igwe provided the renters’ identities to the police.
But some days later, Emmanuel Igwe was kidnapped and found dead. The police, whom Ani described as being controlled by the APC, then arrested him. He was held for three weeks as a prime suspect in the murder of Barrister Chukwu, a man he says was a friend of his late father. When he was eventually released, he was warned to stop involving himself in “matters unrelated to him.”
What followed was a systematic campaign of intimidation as anonymous threatening calls began targeting his family, and strange vehicles park outside his home at odd hours. This was followed by letters and text messages, calling him an “infidel” and a “traitor,” and warning that his family would “pay a dear price” for his actions.
In May 2023, the threats turned physical when masked men attempted to corner and abduct him as he returned from a community meeting, but he narrowly escaped. His report of the incident to the police proved futile, because instead of launching an investigation, the police demanded he provide the names of his assailants, information he did not have.
Fearing for his life, Ani fled Enugu for Port Harcourt, moving from hotel to hotel. Yet, he was tracked down. A hotel attendant warned him that armed men were asking for his room number. He returned to Enugu, where police arrested him again, holding him for five weeks without charge.
Upon his release, he was given a sinister ultimatum by the police – to become a government informant and bury the secrets he knew about the APC’s “nefarious acts” and the Chukwu assassination, or face extermination.”
Following this dangerous circumstance, Ani fled to Lagos, but the reprieve was short-lived. In July 2023, he was violently attacked near his business premises and was frequently followed by unmarked cars, as threatening messages resumed which took a serious psychological toll on him, manifesting in nightly nightmares and perpetual anxiety.
Realizing a nationwide connection of the perpetrators and the complicity of the security forces, Ani has since abandoned his business, and his whereabouts are unknown.
According Mrs Ani who claimed that she had been assaulted several times on account of providing the whereabouts of her husband since she returned to Nigeria after completing her studies in June 2025. She had been faced with waves of threats, masked men visiting their home at intervals, threatening her and demanding to know Ani’s whereabouts.
There have been several rumors and reports on how similar threats have been made against Ani’s parents and cousin in Enugu, with gunmen threatening to kill his cousin if Ani’s location is not revealed. She stated that there is trauma in her family, and she is seeking protection. Several attempts have been made to reach the police.
This is one of the situations that presents a challenge to private citizens criticising the conduct of a powerful government. The Nigerian police have not yet responded to requests for comment on these allegations. The police spokesman for Enugu State Command, Daniel Ndukwe merely asked what our correspondent wanted to know. “How do you want me to react to this?” he queried.
