The Nsukka Area Police Command in Enugu State has detained community activist Ezema Kelechi Henry, popularly known as “Kelwizzy,” after he repeatedly drew public attention to the poor condition of roads across Nsukka Local Government Area.
Henry’s detention has sparked concerns among residents and civil society advocates, particularly following allegations that he was assaulted by suspected state-backed thugs before being taken to the police station.
A lawyer, Malachy Odo, disclosed the development on Friday, alleging that Henry was beaten severely before his detention at the Nsukka Police Command.
According to Odo, Henry had been using his social media platforms to highlight the deplorable condition of roads within the local government area and call on authorities to intervene.
“Kelwizzy, a guy on Facebook who has been highlighting the very bad state of roads within Nsukka LGA, was beaten to a state of stupor by state-backed thugs yesterday before being detained at the Nsukka Police Command,” Odo said.
He described the incident as a troubling development, questioning the state of democracy and freedom of expression in Nigeria.
Henry had continued to document the condition of roads in Nsukka in the days leading up to his detention.
On August 4, he shared a video showing the condition of Ikpa Market Road, where large portions of the road were covered in muddy and stagnant water.
In the video, Henry said the road regularly became flooded, while the absence of adequate drainage prevented water from flowing away.
He also pointed out the difficulties faced by residents, particularly young people, who he said sometimes had to wade through the flooded portions of the road to move around the area.
Henry subsequently appealed to the Nsukka Local Government Chairman, Jude Chinedu Asogwa, and Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, to urgently intervene and rehabilitate the road.
In another recent video, Henry showed the condition of Orba Road around Mbuke Lane, drawing attention to another section that had become flooded and difficult for motorists, pedestrians and other road users to navigate.
His social media activities have focused largely on exposing infrastructure challenges and drawing the attention of government officials to problems affecting residents of Nsukka.
Police Yet to Comment
The police have yet to publicly explain why Henry was detained or respond to the allegation that he was assaulted before his detention.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at the Nsukka Urban Police Division, when contacted by FIJ on Friday, reportedly declined to comment on the matter over the phone.
The DPO initially asked the reporter to visit his office in Enugu. When informed that the reporter was not in Enugu and preferred to communicate through WhatsApp, the officer agreed to speak by phone.
However, he had not responded as of the time of publication.
A further reminder was sent to him on Saturday, but no response had been received at press time.
FIJ also contacted the spokesperson for the Enugu State Police Command, SP Daniel Ndukwe, on Friday and Saturday.
Ndukwe reportedly did not answer the calls or respond to text messages sent to him regarding Henry’s detention and the allegations of assault.
The Enugu State Police Command had still not issued an official statement on the matter as of Saturday evening.
Nsukka Received N2 Billion in Three Months
The controversy comes amid questions about government funding available to Nsukka Local Government Area.
Data from the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), according to a check by FIJ, showed that Nsukka LGA received at least N2 billion in allocations between January and March 2026.
The local government reportedly received N750 million in January, N725 million in February and N637 million in March.
The figures amount to approximately N2.1 billion in FAAC allocations within the three-month period.
The same data reportedly showed that Nsukka Local Government Area received about N7.9 billion in FAAC allocations throughout 2025.
The figures have further intensified questions about the state of infrastructure in the area and how public funds allocated to the local government are being utilised.
For residents who regularly use the affected roads, the poor conditions have reportedly created difficulties for transportation and movement, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall.
As of Saturday evening, there was no official statement from the Enugu State Police Command addressing Henry’s reported detention or the allegations surrounding his treatment.
The circumstances leading to his detention, the reason for the police action and whether any charges have been filed against him remain unclear.
