Abagana, Anambra State. The Anambra State Police Command has issued a response to allegations surrounding a missing wristwatch case at Abagana Police Division, saying the item was valued at $500 and denying that officers demanded ₦100,000.

The statement, dated 22 October 2026 and signed by Police Public Relations Officer SP Tochukwu Ikenga, says the watch was delivered to the wrong workshop and that conflicting accounts emerged about its subsequent handling. The Command says the investigation remains ongoing.

Response to the earlier report

Anambra Socials previously published an apprentice’s allegation that he spent several days in police custody over a wristwatch. That account described him as 15 and alleged assault and the detention of his employer. Those claims were presented as independently unverified.

The police statement gives a different account of the delivery and subsequent handling of the watch. It says the parties were questioned and that “the suspect” was released and asked to return on 23 October. It does not specify the duration of any custody, establish the apprentice’s age or describe any arrangements for parental or guardian involvement. It also does not separately address the alleged assault. Anambra Socials has not independently resolved these differences.

Police statement

The supplied statement is reproduced below with personal names replaced by bracketed descriptions to protect a person described in the earlier report as a minor and reduce indirect identification. Paragraph formatting and heading capitalisation have been adjusted.

Anambra Police Clarify Circumstances Surrounding Missing $500 Wristwatch, Deny Alleged ₦100,000 Demand

The Anambra State Police Command wishes to clarify the circumstances surrounding a complaint involving a missing wristwatch valued at $500 and allegations of unlawful detention and a purported demand for ₦100,000 at Abagana Police Division.

On 17th October 2026, the complainant reported that a wristwatch valued at $500, sent from abroad by a relative for delivery to their uncle in Nwafia, had gone missing.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the wristwatch had been entrusted to the complainant’s brother for onward delivery to the intended recipient. Acting on the description that a tyre was usually parked in front of his uncle’s shop, the brother arrived at a vulcanising workshop, where he met [the apprentice], whom he mistakenly believed to be his uncle’s employee.

Upon inquiry, [the apprentice] reportedly informed him that his master was away. Consequently, the brother handed the wristwatch to him for onward delivery, unaware that he had arrived at the wrong premises.

When the intended recipient subsequently denied receiving the wristwatch, [the apprentice] was invited to the Division for questioning. During the interview, he explained that the wristwatch had been handed over to him for safekeeping and that he later gave it to his master, identified as [the employer], upon his return.

Efforts to reach [the employer] were initially unsuccessful, as he was reportedly away. He eventually returned on 20th October 2026 and admitted receiving the wristwatch from his employee. However, he claimed that he subsequently returned it to the employee and instructed him to discard it, believing it to be an old wristwatch.

Further questioning indicated that the wristwatch had allegedly been thrown into a pile of discarded tyres, where subsequent efforts to locate it proved unsuccessful.

In view of the conflicting accounts and the need to establish the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the property, the parties were questioned to clarify their respective roles. Following the interviews, the suspect was released and directed to return to the Division on 23rd October 2026 for further clarification and follow-up on efforts to establish the whereabouts of the missing wristwatch.

On the allegation of a ₦100,000 demand

The Command denies the allegation that ₦100,000 was demanded in connection with the case. The handling of the matter was directed at establishing the circumstances surrounding the receipt, transfer and alleged disposal of the missing wristwatch.

The Command reiterates that its officers are expected to discharge their duties professionally, impartially and in accordance with the law. Any allegation of misconduct brought to the attention of the Command will be treated with the seriousness it deserves.

The case remains under investigation, and the Command will take appropriate lawful steps upon the conclusion of the necessary investigative processes.

The Anambra State Police Command assures members of the public of its commitment to professionalism, accountability and the protection of the rights of all persons. Members of the public are encouraged to report any genuine concerns regarding police conduct through the appropriate channels.

SP Tochukwu Ikenga
Police Public Relations Officer
Anambra State Police Command, Awka

22nd October 2026

Source and publication note

Source: statement supplied to Anambra Socials, attributed to the Anambra State Police Command and dated 22 October 2026. This publication reports the Command’s position; the delivery history, value of the watch, custody circumstances and denial of a monetary demand have not been independently established by Anambra Socials. No court finding is identified in the supplied statement.

The featured image is an AI-generated conceptual illustration, not a photograph of the watch, workshop or police investigation. It does not imply that the missing item has been recovered.