The Federal High Court in Lagos has restrained the Inspector-General of Police and other senior officers from arresting, detaining, or interrogating Chinedu Emmanuel Ani, a popular on-air personality and comedian widely known as Nedu Wazobia, over a contractual dispute with a business partner.
Justice D. Dipeolu issued the interim order after Nedu and five others filed an ex parte application seeking protection of their fundamental rights.
The order bars the IGP, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police at Alagbon, and their officers from taking action against the applicants in relation to a dispute with the Metropolitan School of Business and Management, Mr. Victor Ariyibi-Oke, and Mrs. Tolulope Ariyibi-Oke.
Other respondents in the suit include Ngozi Braide, Stephen Onihane, and Inspector Echeng Julius, while the applicants alongside Nedu are Sarah Williams-Konha, Avalon Okpe, Ada Okpe, Barbara Okwaranobi, and Tokindrumz Pictures and Media Nigeria Ltd.
Although the court declined a request to compel the police to maintain the status quo on all matters relating to the disputed transaction, Justice Dipeolu directed the police to refrain from taking further steps until the substantive motion on notice is heard.
Through their lawyer, J. Dong, the applicants argued that the matter was purely civil, but their business partners had resorted to using the police to intimidate them.
They revealed that the case was initially investigated for about nine months by the X-Squad of the AIG’s office at Alagbon, with the police legal department confirming it was a contractual issue that should be settled in court. Despite this, the respondents allegedly submitted another petition to the same Alagbon office, which led to renewed harassment, cautioning, and even alleged assault on their former lawyer.
The dispute stems from a partnership in early 2024 for an educational charity initiative aimed at raising school fees for underprivileged students. The respondents had reportedly agreed to sponsor the high-profile fundraising gala with over N83 million, but later demanded a refund of N60 million without explanation.
Following the fallout, Nedu and his team alleged that some of them were unlawfully detained in July 2025, while others had their international passports seized.
The substantive case for enforcement of their fundamental rights is still pending before the court.
