According to the ministry, there was no dispute that Opara was “hale and hearty” at the time of his arrest on October 15, 2023, a fact the DPP said was confirmed by ASP Uchendu Blessing himself in his statement to investigators.
More than a year and 10 months after the Imo State government formally recommended the prosecution of two police officers for murder of Levi Opara, a businessman who died on October 18, 2023, while in the custody of the Imo State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit, "Tiger Base", the police have yet to arraign the suspects.
A letter dated March 22, 2024, issued by the Imo State Ministry of Justice, Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and addressed to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 9 Headquarters, Umuahia, had explicitly advised that ASP Uchendu Blessing and Inspector Moses Ogarabe be charged with conspiracy and murder over Opara’s death.
Yet, as of the time of filing this report, the officers have not been brought before any court.
“The suspects should be arraigned in court on a two-count charge of conspiracy and murder of the deceased, Levi Opara, who died in their custody,” the DPP stated in the official correspondence signed by Mrs. I.I. Amadi, Director of Public Prosecutions.
The DPP’s legal advice which Saharareporters obtained on Monday was anchored on what it described as compelling medical and circumstantial evidence, including a detailed autopsy report that documented multiple soft-tissue and cutaneous injuries on Opara’s body.
According to the ministry, there was no dispute that Opara was “hale and hearty” at the time of his arrest on October 15, 2023, a fact the DPP said was confirmed by ASP Uchendu Blessing himself in his statement to investigators.
“The deceased did not complain of any sickness when he was arrested,” the officer reportedly told police, a statement the DPP cited as critical to establishing liability.
The postmortem examination, however, revealed extensive bruises and lacerations across Opara’s face, neck, arms, abdomen, back, and hands, including a deep injury to one of his fingers and visible swelling.
“The injuries raise a prima facie case,” the DPP wrote, adding that the suspects “must explain how the deceased sustained these injuries while in their custody.”
The Ministry of Justice stressed that the questions surrounding Opara’s injuries and death could only be properly resolved in a court of law, urging the police to immediately commence prosecution.
“This should only be done in the law court,” the letter emphasised.
The DPP also cleared Anthony Nneji Mbata, another suspect earlier linked to the case, stating that he merely reported a perceived crime and never had Opara in his custody. The ministry recommended his discharge.
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters gathered on Monday, clearly a year and 10 months after the Imo government's directive was issued, the police authorities have yet to arraign the officers.
However, rights advocates have said that the continued delay in arraigning the officers undermines public confidence in the police and the justice system.
“This is a test case for police accountability,” said a human-rights lawyer in Owerri, Gerald Edeh Esq. “When the Attorney-General’s office says ‘prosecute,’ and nothing happens, it sends a dangerous message that officers are above the law.”
Opara’s family has also expressed frustration, accusing the authorities of protecting their own.
“They have the report. They have the advice. What they are doing now is delaying justice,” a family member said. “Our son died in their hands. We want answers in open court.”
The case has once again thrown the spotlight on the Tiger Base facility, long accused by civil-society groups of torture and abuse of detainees.
“This delay reinforces why Tiger Base has become a symbol of police brutality,” an activist Olu Omotayo said. “If officers accused of murder are shielded, then reform is meaningless.”
Meanwhile, efforts by SaharaReporters to obtain a response from the Imo State Police Command and Zone 9 Police Headquarters were unsuccessful as of press time.
For the Opara family, however, the demand remains simple.
“Arraign them,” the family said. “Let the court decide.”