Family Protests Erasure of First Indigenous Commandant from Police College Records
By George Ozalla
The family of the late Aneto Umeadi Oyeoka Chinwuba has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police over what it described as the deliberate removal of his name and historical record as the first indigenous Commandant of the Nigeria Police College, Ikeja. The protest letter dated 24 November 2025 was addressed to the Inspector-General at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
In the letter, the family said it was shocking to discover that the name, photograph, biography and all official references to Mr Aneto Umeadi Oyeoka Chinwuba had been wiped from Police archives, databases and the gallery of past Commandants at the college. They stated that he served as Commandant in the early 1960s, becoming the first Nigerian to head the institution after the exit of British officers, and that his role was well-documented for decades before the recent disappearance of those records.
According to the letter jointly signed by Engr Amaechi Chinwuba, +2348033145013; Prof Zelinjo Igweze, +2348037113866; Arc Ikem Chinwuba, 08039480630; Dr Ugochukwu Chinwuba, +44 7956 368990; Dr Obiageli Onwurah, +2348036688374; Mr Chidi Jefferson, +1 661 373 4146; and Mr Kenechukwu Chinwuba, 09091715450; the erasure amounts to historical falsification and an affront to justice, merit and national unity. They said the act reinforces long-standing concerns about the marginalisation of officers of Eastern Nigerian origin, adding that inquiries to the Force and the college have either been ignored or met with evasive responses.
The family demanded the immediate restoration of the late commandant’s name, photograph and full details in both physical and digital records at the college and across all official Police platforms. They also sought a public explanation and apology, identification of those who authorised the removal, and an independent investigation to prevent similar occurrences.
The protest letter was copied to the Presidency, the National Assembly committees on Police Affairs, the Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Victor Umeh, Hon Obiageli Lilian Orogbu, the Police Service Commission, the National Human Rights Commission, and several civil society and media organisations. The family said it would pursue legal action and wider national and international advocacy if the Police fail to address the matter within 30 days.
Mr Aneto Umeadi Oyeoka Chinwuba is remembered for leading the early post-independence transition at the Nigeria Police College, Ikeja, a role that marked an important shift in institutional leadership from colonial to indigenous officers.
