Lawyer petitions judge over continued detention of Anambra man

Onyeakalam Alilionwu, a legal practitioner, has petitioned the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja regarding the continued detention of his client, Okechukwu Ugenyi. Despite being granted bail by the Federal High Court in Awka, Anambra State, on July 10, 2026, Ugenyi remains incarcerated.

The petition alleges significant irregularities in the processing of bail conditions. Alilionwu claims that the case file reportedly disappeared and was later recovered, and that conflicting reports regarding the verification of a surety’s residential address further frustrated the release process.

The lawyer has called for an investigation into the roles of deputy chief registrar Mba Nkem and court clerk Ijeoma Okoye. The petition further alleges that the deputy chief registrar locked the client’s file in her office before traveling to Enugu State, contributing to the delays.