A global human-rights watchdog, Amnesty International, has sounded the alarm over the disappearance of Ikechukwu Henry — a man from Orlu in Imo State who was reportedly abducted at gunpoint from his home in Garki, Enugu State in the early hours of 23 August 2021.
According to the account provided by Henry’s wife, at about 2:00 a.m. on the night of the abduction, between 10 and 15 armed men clad in military-style uniform surrounded their compound. On opening the door, she was forcibly removed with her three-month-old baby, while the assailants bundled Henry into a waiting vehicle. She described how her husband was beaten and dragged outside, then taken — first to the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army in Enugu, where he was held in a guardroom overnight, then reportedly transferred to an unknown detention facility in Abuja.
Since that night, Henry has never returned home nor has his whereabouts been revealed. Repeated efforts by his family to locate him — including visits to police stations, military facilities, and prison registries — have all been met with silence or denial. Amnesty International warns that the case is reminiscent of a disturbing pattern of enforced disappearances in Nigeria, a crisis documented over several years.
In its statement, Amnesty International demanded that Nigerian authorities launch an immediate, transparent investigation into Henry’s disappearance. The organisation has urged that if Henry is indeed alive, his location be made public, or if dead, that those responsible be held accountable stressing that secret arrests and detentions violate international human rights standards.
Henry’s family — now without answers says the unresolved abduction continues to haunt them, especially his wife and young child, who have lived in limbo for more than four years. As the case resurfaces, rights campaigners warn that unless swift action is taken, Nigeria risks further undermining public trust in security agencies and exacerbating trauma in already traumatised communities.