Abia-based journalist Charity Uwakwe has filed a ₦5 million lawsuit against the Abia State Government and the Nigeria Police at the Federal High Court in Umuahia, alleging that she was unlawfully detained, assaulted, and humiliated in the course of her journalistic duties.
In the suit filed on June 13, 2025, by human rights lawyer Denniseon Emeka Agu, Uwakwe is asking the court to declare that the treatment she received on June 30, 2023—allegedly at the hands of a state official—violated her fundamental rights under the 1999 Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The suit was brought via originating summons and invokes constitutional protections for dignity, liberty, and freedom of expression.
Named as respondents are Oluchi Franklin, the Public Relations Officer of the Abia State Ministry of Women Affairs; the Abia State Government; the State Attorney-General; the Nigerian Police Force; and the Abia State Commissioner of Police.
Uwakwe, who described herself as a journalist engaged in investigative reporting on public interest issues, claims she was detained for over three hours, physically assaulted, and verbally abused by Franklin while attempting to inquire about a public project at the Ministry of Women Affairs. She said she was also referred to as a “roadside/mushroom journalist” during the ordeal.
She further alleges that when she sought redress at the Central Police Station, officers refused to act on her complaint unless she paid a bribe, thereby denying her access to justice.
The lawsuit seeks several declarations from the court, including that her treatment constituted degrading and unlawful actions by agents of the state. It also demands a ₦5 million compensation for the violation of her fundamental rights, a public apology to be published in The Guardian and The Punch, and a perpetual injunction restraining Franklin and others from further harassment.
Uwakwe maintains that the actions taken against her were carried out within the premises and authority of a government agency, making the Abia State Government legally accountable. She is urging the court to compel law enforcement authorities to investigate the incident and prosecute those found culpable.
