A retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Hilary Opara, has been accused of asking prison authorities to chain and torture David Nwokorie, the former boyfriend of his daughter, Genevieve Opara, despite the detainee having been granted bail by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Sources at the Kuje Custodial Centre told SaharaReporters that Opara allegedly contacted prison authorities on Tuesday and requested that Nwokorie be subjected to harsher treatment while in custody.
According to officials familiar with the development, the retired senior police officer allegedly urged prison authorities to chain and torture Nwokorie, who has spent about four months in detention over cybercrime and cyberstalking charges instituted by the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC).
“We were shocked by the request. We simply told him not to worry, but that does not mean anybody agreed to carry out what he allegedly wanted,” a prison official said.
The latest allegation comes despite Nwokorie having been granted bail about two weeks ago by Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
However, his release has been delayed by stringent bail conditions requiring him to produce a serving Colonel in the Nigerian Army as surety, a condition supporters and family members describe as practically impossible to meet.
With Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia expected to proceed on the court’s annual vacation through September, there are growing fears that Nwokorie could remain in custody for several more weeks despite the court’s decision to grant him bail.
The case stems from the breakdown of Nwokorie’s relationship with Genevieve Opara, a Deputy Manager at the National Pension Commission (PenCom) and daughter of the retired police chief.
SaharaReporters had previously reported that Nwokorie was first arrested by operatives of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) after Genevieve accused him of cyberstalking, blackmail and related offences.
At the time, he was released on administrative bail only after the intervention of human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore.
Sowore had disclosed that although the Commissioner of Police in charge of the National Cybercrime Centre agreed to allow Nwokorie’s lawyer process his bail, police officers imposed what he described as “ludicrous” administrative bail conditions.
Documents seen by SaharaReporters at the time showed that police demanded two sureties who were either Federal Government employees not below Grade Level 17 or businessmen with Abuja properties worth at least ₦500 million, among other stringent requirements.
According to Nwokorie’s lawyer, Barrister Ezike Chibuzor, the dispute originated from a failed romantic relationship.
Chibuzor had alleged that Nwokorie ended the relationship after discovering that Genevieve had previously been married and had two children, information he claimed she never disclosed during their relationship.
The lawyer further alleged that tensions escalated after Genevieve reportedly discovered that Nwokorie had proposed to another woman.
According to him, she allegedly stormed Nwokorie’s residence, damaged several household items, and the relationship eventually collapsed.
Nwokorie subsequently demanded ₦25 million in compensation for the alleged destruction of his property and posted a flyer online featuring Genevieve’s photograph, describing her as “wanted for damages done to his home.”
Following the publication, Genevieve petitioned the police, alleging cyberbullying, blackmail and extortion, leading to Nwokorie’s arrest and prosecution.
Nwokorie’s family has consistently alleged that Hilary Opara used his influence as a retired senior police officer to facilitate his arrest and continued detention.
“We believe he is using his influence to keep David behind bars,” a family member had earlier told SaharaReporters.
The family also alleged that the prosecution intensified after Nwokorie indicated his willingness to testify in the ongoing divorce and child custody proceedings involving Genevieve and her estranged husband.
When SaharaReporters previously contacted Genevieve Opara, she maintained that Nwokorie was facing prosecution for blackmail, cyberbullying and making threats to life, insisting that the police had sufficient evidence before taking action.
She declined further comment, saying the matter was already before a competent court.
Her lawyer also declined to comment on the substance of the case, citing the ongoing court proceedings.
However, efforts to reach the retired police chief for comment on the fresh allegations were unsuccessful, as he could not immediately be contacted.
(SaharaReporters)
