EXCLUSIVE: Woman, Three Children Allegedly Detained By Abuja Police On Husband’s Orders For Leaving Marriage, Forced To Sleep On Station Floor

A family source told SaharaReporters on Thursday that the family was forced to sleep on the floor of the police station.

A family in Abuja has cried out after a woman, Adaeze Gift Echendu Ike, and her three young children were arrested and detained at the Airport Police Command, reportedly following instructions from her husband, Chukwudi Christopher Ike, a businessman.

A family source told SaharaReporters on Thursday that the family was forced to sleep on the floor of the police station.

The source explained that Adaeze and her children have no relatives in Anambra State, where the husband and police authorities allegedly plan to transfer them.

The family sources said the ordeal began after Adaeze expressed her desire to end her marriage. Instead of receiving protection, she and her children were reportedly subjected to inhumane treatment at the police station.

Meanwhile, the incident occurred at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, where Gift and her children were intercepted and detained after she allegedly insisted on leaving her marriage.

"We don’t have any family members in Anambra State. They are planning to move them to Anambra State this morning, where he has influence over the police commissioner,” a family source said.

“They want to take the children and lock up my sister."

According to family members, the woman had informed relatives that she was no longer willing to remain in the union, a decision her husband allegedly resisted by involving law enforcement personnel.

In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, Gift and the three minors are shown lying on a carpet on the bare floor of the Airport Police Station, appearing visibly exhausted as relatives recount the events.

A female family member, expressing anger and disbelief, is heard in the background lamenting the conditions in which the woman and her children were kept.

“This is the sleeping condition of my sister and her children, as if they are common criminals and animals,” she said.

“This is where they are being kept. These children are important. This is where they kept them, this is where they have been kept.”

She alleged that officers detained the family “on the instruction” of the husband, but police authorities have yet to publicly address the allegation.

Relatives described the treatment as degrading and unlawful, emphasizing that no crime had been committed to justify the arrest, particularly involving minors.

They are calling on the Inspector-General of Police, human-rights groups, and the Ministry of Women Affairs to intervene and ensure accountability for the officers involved.

Background

On Wednesday evening, SaharaReporters reported that a relative said Gift had travelled from Enugu to Abuja earlier in the day to stay with her cousin after walking out of her marriage.

But upon arrival, she was allegedly intercepted by individuals claiming to be “Airport Crime Watch” operatives.

“She called me in the morning to say she was coming to Abuja,” the cousin said.

“I sent a driver to pick her up, but before he got there, she said she had already been taken by people who introduced themselves as Airport Crime Watch. She also recognised a man standing beside her; her husband’s friend. She saw that same man at the Enugu airport before boarding.”

The flight landed around 11 a.m., yet she was reportedly kept at the airport until 2 p.m. before being moved to what appeared to be the Airport Police Division.

When the family contacted a lawyer and attempted to secure her release, police officers said her husband had submitted a petition accusing her of stealing $500 and land documents, and claiming she was on her way to the Philippines with their children.

“She said she only left because she is tired of the marriage. That’s all,” the cousin stated.

Attempts by lawyers to process her bail reportedly hit a brick wall. The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) reportedly informed the family that he needed clearance from the Commissioner of Police, who is said to be a friend of the husband.

“The CP insisted she must sleep in the station,” the source said.

Her three children, aged five, four, and one year six months, were also detained with her, despite the youngest reportedly falling ill during the ordeal.

They were eventually allowed to leave temporarily for medical checks at the Air Force Base Hospital on Air Force Road. Doctors reportedly said her vitals were unstable at first but later stabilized.

Still, the police refused to release her and her children.

Meanwhile, when SaharaReporters contacted Chukwudi, he said, "Are you married? Hello? Are you married? Okay, if your wife left the house without informing you, what would you do? I’m asking you as a journalist.

“I’m asking you: if your wife leaves your house without your knowledge around 2 a.m. or 3 a.m., with her kids, without telling you anything, won’t you look for her?

“That is exactly what happened. I was looking for them. And I eventually found them.

“If she wants to leave the marriage because she is no longer in love with me, no problem. I’m not disputing that.

“But let’s discuss it properly. I’m coming there tomorrow. Is that why you’re asking if I got her arrested? Yes, because I was looking for her.”

“Did anybody tell you I was beating her or doing anything to her? I just asked you a question and you didn’t answer it. If your wife left your house at 3 a.m., what would you do? Wouldn’t you look for her, especially when she left with three kids? Let’s be honest in this country," he added

WATCH: EXCLUSIVE: Woman, Three Children Allegedly Detained By Abuja Police On Husband’s Orders For Leaving Marriage, Forced To Sleep On Station Floor pic.twitter.com/JBJm3BBfIu

— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) December 4, 2025