‘Police Must Charge Glory Okolie to Court or Release Her Unconditionally’, A2J

On the 17th of June, 2021, Glory Okolie, a young girl of 22 years left home and never returned home, leaving her family and friends perplexed, especially because it was not customary for her to keep late nights or sleep outside the house. The emotional torment from the sudden disappearance of Glory Okolie continued until late June 2021, when a young man released from the Inspector General of Police, Intelligence Response Team (IGP-IRT) disclosed to Glory’s family that she was in the custody of the IGP- IRT, Tiger Base in Owerri, Imo State, and was made to cook and clean for the Police Officers. Armed with this new information, Glory’s parents went to the IGP-IRT office to secure her release, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Instead, the Police transferred Glory Okolie to Abuja.

As the story of Glory’s predicament began to filter out into public space, it generated public outcry, and individuals and civil society organisations began to call for the release of Glory Okolie. This prompted the IGP to order an investigation into the matter. Within a couple of days, and in a rather shocking twist, on the 22nd of August 2021, the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Aremu Adeniran, issued a press statement purporting that Glory Okolie is an informant of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra and Eastern Security Network (IPOB/ESN), and labelled her a ‘militant spy girl’.

As an organisation that pursues justice for everyone, Access to Justice finds Glory’s case to be especially disturbing because, prior to the press release issued by the Police and the allegation slapped on Glory Okolie, she had been detained for over 70 days without access to legal representation, a clear violation of her right to fair hearing and a breach of the Police Act, 2020 and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act. Even more worrying, is the fact that there was no formal or informal communication made to Glory’s family notifying them of her arrest since the 17th of June, 2021, giving her arrest and her illegal detention the appearance of an abduction and enforced disappearance.

Access to Justice therefore:

i. Expresses dissatisfaction with the manner in which Glory Okolie has been handled by the Police, especially regarding the violations of her rights, and thus, demands that Glory Okolie be charged to court if the Police have evidence to back their claim or release her unconditionally.

A2Justice is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation working to promote integrity, transparency, accountability and independence in legal and judicial institutions, and to protect the rights of individuals and groups to justice.

A2Justice is the 2009 recipient of MacArthur Foundation’s Award for Creative and Effective Institutions and also the 2010 recipient of the first- ever Nigerian Bar Association’s Gani Fawehinmi Award for Human Rights and Social Justice.

ii. Questions the integrity of the investigation which led to the conclusion that Glory Okolie is a spy for IPOB/ESN, and therefore, calls on the Police Service Commission to carry out an independent investigation into this case to determine the substance of the matter, and to sanction all persons involved in the violation of the rights of the detainee.

iii. Demands that the National Assembly should call the IGP to order, and impress on him to ensure that Police officers must be seen to employ due process, and work within the provisions of the law when dealing with the public at all times.

iv. Notifies the Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General of the Federation that should there be a delay or reluctance to take action on this matter, a suit will be filed against all concerned parties, to ensure the enforcement of Glory Okolie’s fundamental human rights.