(DDM) – The Federal Government of Nigeria, top naval officials, and the Delta State Police Command have been dragged before the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja over allegations of contempt of court and plans to conduct an unlawful burial.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that the case, filed under suit number ECW/CCJ/APP/38/25, was instituted by Emmanuel and Comrade Ighorhiohwunu, who accused the authorities of interfering in a pending death investigation involving the late Joseph Ighorhiohwunu.
The petitioners claimed that government officials and security operatives conspired to bury the deceased on October 25, despite ongoing legal proceedings challenging the circumstances surrounding his death.
According to court documents, the family argued that the planned burial is not only illegal but also a deliberate attempt to destroy crucial evidence that could expose foul play in the handling of the case.
They further alleged that senior officers, including the Delta State Commissioner of Police and a top Naval Chief, have been complicit in efforts to tamper with the deceased’s remains and frustrate justice.
The Ighorhiohwunu family maintained that the burial arrangement, allegedly endorsed by security authorities, represents an abuse of power and a violation of the deceased’s fundamental rights.
Their counsel petitioned the ECOWAS Court to issue immediate restraining orders against the Federal Government and its agencies, demanding that the corpse be preserved until investigations and litigation are fully concluded.
The applicants also urged the regional court to impose sanctions on officials found guilty of contempt, stressing that tampering with the body constitutes obstruction of justice and undermines the rule of law.
Sources close to the case told DDM that the family had previously filed complaints before Nigerian courts but turned to the ECOWAS Court after allegedly facing intimidation and inaction from local authorities.
Human rights observers describe the case as a major test for Nigeria’s compliance with regional judicial rulings and respect for human dignity in criminal and civil proceedings.
Legal experts note that if the ECOWAS Court rules in favor of the family, it could compel the Nigerian government to halt the burial and face possible penalties for contempt.
The court is expected to hear the contempt motion in the coming days as tension builds around the alleged plan to proceed with the burial despite legal warnings.
The Ighorhiohwunu family insists that their only demand is truth, transparency, and justice for their late relative, not political cover-ups or premature closure of the case.