LAGOS, Nigeria — The Federal High Court in Lagos has issued an interim order restraining the Inspector-General of Police and several senior officers from arresting or detaining popular on-air personality and comedian, Chinedu Emmanuel Ani, popularly known as Nedu Wazobia.
The decision stems from a contractual dispute between Nedu’s media team and the Metropolitan School of Business and Management, which his lawyers argue is being improperly handled as a criminal matter.
The order was granted by Justice D. I. Dipeolu after an ex parte application filed by Nedu and five others, including his media company and team members.
The applicants sought the court’s protection of their fundamental human rights, claiming the police had been used as a tool of intimidation by their business partners.
Justice Dipeolu directed that no further steps be taken against the applicants until the substantive case is heard.
However, the judge declined a request to compel the police to maintain the status quo on all matters relating to the disputed contract.
Through their lawyer, J. W. Dong, Nedu’s team explained that the dispute had already been investigated for nine months in 2024 by the police X-Squad in Alagbon.
That investigation found no evidence of criminal liability, and the police legal department issued a formal opinion declaring the matter strictly contractual.
Despite this conclusion, a fresh petition was reportedly filed with the police, leading to renewed interrogation by a team led by CSP Ngozi Braide.
According to the applicants, some members of the team were again placed under caution, unlawfully detained in July 2025, and had their international passports seized.
They also alleged that their former lawyer was assaulted by one of the respondents during the investigation.
The dispute arose from a partnership formed in early 2024 to raise school fees for underprivileged students.
The partnership culminated in a high-profile fundraising gala in March of that year, which was sponsored at a cost of more than ₦83 million.
Following the event, the business partners allegedly demanded an unjustified refund of ₦60 million, which triggered the fallout.
The subsequent petition to the police, Nedu’s team claimed, began a campaign of harassment.
In their substantive suit, Nedu and his co-applicants are asking the court to declare the police’s actions unlawful and unconstitutional.
They are also seeking an order for the immediate return of their seized passports, a permanent injunction against any further harassment, and ₦2 billion in damages for what they describe as a violation of their rights.
The case will return to court for further hearing, with the interim order protecting Nedu and his associates from arrest or detention until a final determination is made.
