Widow and Kids Sue Police Over Rights Violations After Husband's Death

A widow from Lagos, Lovelyn Adimike, is taking legal action against the police. She is suing the Inspector-General of Police, the Commissioner of Police in FCT, and others for rights violations, including illegal detention. This comes after the death of her husband, Lucky Adimike, the father of her two detained children.

Lovelyn and her kids, Stephanie and Anthony Adimike, along with a family friend, Comfort Ajibade, filed the suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja. They are asking for the immediate release of those in police custody and protection for their private and family life. Their lawyer, Chibuzor Obiajunwa, is representing them in court.

In the affidavit signed by Mrs Adimike, she stated that she has not been detained. However, her children, Anthony and Stephanie, and their friend, Comfort, have been in custody since the police found her husband's body on 15 May 2026 at their home in Abuja.

The affidavit shows that the detainees are held at the FCT Intelligence Response Team facility, which used to be the Special Anti-Robbery Squad headquarters, located behind Area 3 Police Station in Gudu District, Abuja. The suit aims to stop all acts that violate the applicants’ rights to life, dignity, personal liberty, family life, freedom of movement, peaceful assembly, and equal protection under the law.

The applicants filed their fundamental rights enforcement suit on 3 June. They want the court to tell the police to either charge them in court or release them if there is no solid case against them. They also want the police to send the investigation file to the Attorney-General of the Federation for legal advice and action.

As of now, no judge has been assigned to the case. Reports suggest that Mr Adimike's death is linked to a violent incident involving his son in Abuja. It was said that the son, who is part of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), stabbed his father during a family disagreement.

However, Mrs Adimike has a different story about how her husband died and how his body was found. She claims, "I believe that contrary to stories being peddled that my husband had been stabbed to death, my husband had been shot dead and the gunshots that killed him were fired from a gun that had been fitted with a silencer."

She mentioned that she was married to Mr Adimike for almost 25 years and they had four children together. Mr Adimike was a businessman who got into property in Abuja in 2016. This made him travel frequently between Lagos and Abuja.

Their son, Anthony, was in Abuja for his national youth service, while Stephanie, 20, was there for an industrial training. Mrs Adimike said they rented a house in Guzape, Abuja, for the children. This is where Mr Adimike stayed whenever he visited.

Mrs Adimike explained that the issues began on 11 May 2026 when her husband traveled to Abuja while she stayed in Lagos. On 13 May, he asked the children to prepare food for him, so she sent a list of ingredients to Stephanie. Stephanie bought the ingredients on 14 May and cooked with Anthony that evening. Mr Adimike even recorded a video of the cooking and shared it with the family.

Later that night, a friend of Stephanie, Comfort, visited, and they all went out for a night outing. They returned the next day. Mrs Adimike said she called her husband the following morning, but he did not answer. By 11 a.m. on 15 May, she got worried and asked Anthony to open his father's bedroom door.

Anthony found his father dead inside. She told him to report to Guzape Village Police Station, and the police took the body. The corpse was later taken to Karu General Hospital, where police arrested Anthony. Stephanie and Comfort were also arrested as the investigation progressed.

Mrs Adimike said her husband’s brother arrived in Abuja on 16 May, just before she did. He came with others to view the body at the hospital. Later, the body was moved, and Mrs Adimike described it as displayed naked on a pallet, which later circulated online.

Following this, social media users accused Anthony of stabbing his father. Mrs Adimike denied this claim, insisting her husband was shot and pointing out alleged gunshot wounds. "Having severally viewed the corpse of my late husband, I am aware that he has four gunshot wounds on the lower left chest which I am convinced is likely to have been the cause of his death," she stated.

The body was moved to the National Hospital, Abuja on 21 May for further procedures. She said she could not witness the autopsy due to distress and appointed a representative. However, she alleged that police ordered her representative out before the autopsy began.

Mrs Adimike filed the suit to address what she sees as violations of their rights. She claimed the Attorney-General would not act unless the court forced him to. She also mentioned that some unknown people tried to enter their Lagos home, claiming they were sent by her late husband’s brothers. She learned that a caveat was spread online about his properties and debts. Mrs Adimike remains firm that her husband was shot with a silenced weapon.