Nnamdi Emeh, a 26-year-old Nigerian whistleblower, has been awarded a 2025 Whistleblowing Prize by the international NGO Blueprint for Free Speech for exposing corruption, human rights abuses, and illegal organ trafficking by Nigerian police officers.

Background

• Emeh, a Business Administration graduate, worked with the Anambra State Rapid Response Squad during his NYSC year as an IT consultant tracking high-profile criminals.
• He leaked information implicating police officers in corruption, abductions, extrajudicial killings, extortion, and organ harvesting, triggering investigations.
• After his identity was exposed, he fled to Benin Republic, but was arrested in March 2023 on an Interpol Red Notice and returned to Nigeria.

Current Situation

• Despite a court granting him bail in May 2023, Emeh remains detained at Awka Correctional Centre due to alleged interference by police authorities.
• His family reports ongoing threats to his life, including two alleged assassination attempts while in custody.
• Emeh faces 12 charges, including possession of firearms, money laundering, fraud, and hacking, widely seen as retaliatory for his whistleblowing.

International Recognition

• The 2025 Whistleblowing Prizes recognize courage in exposing corruption globally, with honorees spanning Africa, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific.
• Judges include British journalist Jane Corbin, Australian barrister James D. Catlin, and academic Dr. Suelette Dreyfus.
• Blueprint highlighted Emeh’s case as emblematic of the risks whistleblowers face, including imprisonment and threats to life.

Calls for Accountability

• Civil society groups, including RULAAC, stress Emeh’s detention demonstrates impunity in the Nigerian Police, as officers implicated in organ trafficking have not been prosecuted.
• Emeh’s father, Prof. John Emeh, appealed to authorities and the international community for urgent intervention, warning that Emeh’s life remains in danger.
• Rights groups view the case as a litmus test for Nigeria’s commitment to transparency and whistleblower protection.

Significance

Emeh’s recognition by Blueprint underscores the importance of whistleblowers in exposing corruption, even as systemic retaliation threatens their safety. The international award also amplifies calls for his immediate release and protection.