The Anambra Police Command has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all residents, issuing a strong warning against caste-based discrimination, particularly the Osu practice.
The Anambra Police Command condemned such practices as barbaric, illegal, and fundamentally at odds with Nigeria’s constitutional values.
The statement, released on Wednesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, stressed that denying any individual their rights based on caste constitutes a serious breach of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and existing anti-discrimination laws.
Referencing Section 42(1) of the Constitution, the Anambra Police Command highlighted that no Nigerian citizen should face discrimination based on ethnicity, community, place of origin, gender, religion, or circumstances of birth. It also emphasized that Section 34(1) protects the right to human dignity and prohibits degrading treatment, while the Discrimination Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2018, criminalizes such acts and stipulates penalties for violators.
“The attempt to deny couples the right to marry or live freely together on the basis of caste practices is unacceptable and unlawful.
“Once two consenting adults agree to marry, no cultural barrier or discriminatory practice has any legal standing to override their constitutional rights to freedom of association, family life, and dignity,” the Anambra Police Command warned.
SP Ikenga stressed that Nigeria is governed by the rule of law, not oppressive traditions, and vowed that anyone found culpable of enforcing caste-based discrimination would face the full weight of the law.
He urged the public to promote peace, equality, and mutual respect, and to report cases of caste-based discrimination to the nearest Police Station.
“The dignity, freedom, and security of every individual remain a top priority for the Anambra State Police Command,” the PPRO maintained.
The Osu caste system is an age-long practice among some Igbo communities, where individuals designated as “Osu” are considered outcasts, historically dedicated to deities and thereby regarded as socially inferior.
Those labeled as Osu have traditionally faced stigma, exclusion from communal leadership roles, and, in extreme cases, rejection in marriage alliances with the so-called “freeborn” or Nwadiala.
Though widely condemned by rights groups, religious bodies, and modern Igbo leaders, remnants of the practice still persist in some communities, manifesting in marital restrictions, ostracism, and subtle social segregation.
Critics argue that it runs contrary to contemporary values of equality and human dignity, while its persistence has often fueled conflicts and broken relationships across Igbo society.
The Anambra Police Command’s intervention is seen as part of broader efforts to dismantle such discriminatory practices and affirm the supremacy of constitutional guarantees over customs that diminish human dignity.
