The Anambra State Police Command has restated its commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of all residents, warning against the enforcement of caste-based discriminations such as the Osu practice, describing them as barbaric, unlawful, and incompatible with Nigeria’s constitutional order.
The warning, issued on Wednesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, emphasized that denying individuals their rights on account of caste amounts to a gross violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), as well as extant anti-discrimination laws.
Citing Section 42(1) of the Constitution, the Command noted that no citizen shall be subjected to any form of discrimination on the basis of community, ethnic group, place of origin, sex, religion, or circumstance of birth. It further recalled that Section 34(1) guarantees the right to human dignity and outlaws all degrading treatment, while the Discrimination Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2018, criminalizes such practices and prescribes penalties for offenders.
“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 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 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.
Anambra Police warns against Osu, other caste-based discriminations