Sports
Anambra FA Demands Investigation Into Ex-Falcons Star, Maureen Mmadu’s Arrest
The Chairman of the Anambra State Football Association (ANSFA), Chikelue “General” Iloenyosi, has called on Zone 13 of the Nigeria Police in Ukpo to conduct a thorough investigation into the troubling arrest of Nigerian women’s football icon, Maureen Mmadu.
Iloenyosi condemned the reported invasion of the Maureen Mmadu Kiddies Academy (MMKA) in Ozubulu, during which officers from the Anti-Cult Unit in Ukpo, Dunukofia LGA, allegedly assaulted her players.
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Upon learning of the incident, the ANSFA Chairman acted swiftly, dispatching one of his aides, Ifeanyi Ojukwu, to intervene and assist the former international football star.
“I rushed to Zone 13 of the Nigeria Police Force as soon as the FA Chairman was called, Mmadu had sent a protest to the zone after her arrest, DCP (CID) Umar Muhammad who is incharge of investigations in the zone through ACP (CID) Mrs Jane Mbanefo invited the men of the Anti Cult unit Ukpo and asked them questions and established that the arrest was lacking and lambasted them for not investigating before embarking on the embarrassing arrest and tarnishing of Mmadu’s image.” Ojukwu narrated.
“Earlier I met with the Petitioner, Mr Uchenna Onyekwunife and the men of the anti cult unit in Ukpo”
“The petitioner denied knowledge of the content of the petition his lawyer wrote saying that those were never what he asked him to write against Mmadu.”
The officers involved in the operation later acknowledged that they had been misled. In response, DCP Muhammad ordered their arrest and detention, as well as that of the petitioner, for their role in the unlawful arrest and detention of Maureen Mmadu, the former four-time Nigerian Women’s World Cup star.
DCP Muhammad also directed that all items belonging to the players, including their phones, which were damaged during the operation, must be replaced by the officers involved, while investigations continue.
The Anambra State Football Association (ANSFA) vowed to continue fighting for Mmadu to regain the respect and honour she deserves, emphasizing that the relationship between the Police and the FA remains strong.
However, Iloenyosi has called for further investigation and the appropriate punishment for the officers involved, as well as the father of the girl and the lawyer responsible for filing the false petition.
In July 2023, Iloenyosi had visited the then Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Olufemi Adeoye, who pledged support for the growth of football in the state. The current Commissioner of Police, Mr. Nnaghe Obono Itam, has continued to foster this positive relationship.
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The incident began when a petition was filed by the parent of one of the girls in the camp, Emmanuella Onyekwunife, accusing Mmadu of armed gangsterism, cultism, attempted murder, child trafficking, and threats to life. The same parent had entrusted Mmadu with the care and training of Onyekwunife for a summer football coaching program.
Mmadu, 49, had a distinguished career with the Super Falcons. She played for various clubs in Nigeria and Europe, earning over one hundred caps and becoming one of Nigeria’s most celebrated female footballers.
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