Owerri, Imo State — November 2, 2025 | Dalena Reporters
The Imo State Police Command has refuted allegations circulating on social media that a suspected sponsor of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) died from torture while in police custody. The command said the man, identified as Magnus Ejiogu, died of illness while awaiting trial, and not from any act of physical mistreatment.
Police spokesperson DSP Michael Abattam confirmed that Ejiogu was detained on October 28 after being linked to alleged IPOB funding activities. He remained in custody at the Owerri detention facility. According to the statement, Ejiogu complained of chest pains and fever on October 30 and was taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, where he died early on October 31 after failing to respond to medical treatment. The cause of death was given as acute cardiac arrest combined with untreated malaria and pneumonia.
Addressing the social-media allegations, Abattam said: “The insinuation that the deceased was tortured to death is false. We have obtained his medical records, autopsy report, and cell monitoring logs which show he was monitored and treated. There are no signs of external injury or bruising consistent with torture.
The statement added that the police had invited the family and legal representatives of Ejiogu to witness the post-mortem examination and review the findings. The family declined to hold a public autopsy release but asked for a private briefing. “We will allow the family to determine how the report is published,” the spokesperson said.
The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of security operations in Nigeria’s South-East region, where human-rights groups have raised concerns over alleged extrajudicial killings and deaths in custody, especially in cases involving IPOB members or alleged sponsors.
In response to the news, a spokesperson for IPOB urged an independent investigation by human-rights bodies, stating the family should be given full access to all reports and that security agencies must be held accountable for detainee welfare. The group claimed that multiple similar deaths raise serious questions about custodial treatment.
The Imo State Police Command said it would cooperate with the family and oversight agencies, and had ordered an internal review of its detainee-health monitoring protocols. It also pledged to provide training for officers in medical-emergency response and to ensure timely medical access for detainees presenting illness symptoms.