Anglican Priest Drags Navy To Court Over Alleged Assault, Demands ₦500m Damages
A legal battle that touches on civil liberties, religious dignity and military conduct has unfolded in Anambra State, as an Anglican priest has taken the Nigerian Navy to court over an alleged violation of his fundamental rights.
The priest, Rev. Tochukwu Agina of the Anglican Diocese of Ogbaru, has filed a ₦500 million suit at the Anambra State High Court, Onitsha, accusing naval personnel of assault, unlawful detention and humiliation.
The incident, according to court filings, occurred on November 30, 2025, at the Okpotouno naval checkpoint in Ogbaru.
Rev. Agina alleged that officers attached to the Ogbaru Naval Base accused him of making phone calls at the checkpoint, ordered him out of a commercial vehicle and physically assaulted him before detaining him at the naval base.
Claiming he sustained bodily injuries and suffered public humiliation, the cleric is seeking enforcement of his fundamental rights, which he says were breached contrary to Sections 34 and 35 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), covering dignity of the human person, personal liberty and freedom of movement.
The suit, marked No. O/MSC/572/2025, lists the Nigerian Navy, the Navy Board, the Chief of Naval Staff, the Commander of the Onitsha/Ogbaru Naval Base, the officer in charge of the Okpotouno checkpoint and other unidentified officers as respondents.
Rev. Agina is represented by a formidable legal team led by Sir Ejike Ezenwa, SAN, alongside other senior advocates.
At the hearing before Justice David Onyefulu of High Court No. 3, the court ordered substituted service on the respondents through publication in a national newspaper and adjourned the matter to January 22 for hearing.
Speaking after the session, lead counsel described the alleged assault as disturbing, arguing that it was not only a personal violation but an affront to religious dignity.
“It is unacceptable that a priest, clearly identified by his clerical attire, would be publicly brutalised and dehumanised,” he said.
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