Erisco Foods: Police ends siege on Chioma Okoli’s residence after 10 hours standoff

Armed policemen allegedly sent by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, have vacated the private residence of Chioma Edoka Okoli after laying siege to the house for over 10 hours.

The police personnel invaded her home on Tuesday morning over the review of a tomato product made by Erisco Foods Limited on Facebook.

Okoli, a female customer, was arrested and detained in September 2023 for reviewing the tomato product.

The team of policemen from Abuja who claimed to be acting on the orders of the Inspector General of Police moved to re-arrest Okoli without providing any court order authorising them to do so.

Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, who is Okoli’s counsel, in an update on Tuesday said the police team from Abuja was being supported by policemen from the Ajiwe Police Station in Ajah.

He said, “The initial team that arrived at her residence called for a reinforcement after we demanded to see the court order authorising them to rearrest her. They are currently trying to break into her house where she lives with her baby.

“This latest attack on Chioma is in connection with the ongoing case between my client and the police on the instigation of Erisco Foods Limited and its founder, Chief Eric Umeofia.

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“The police had secretly filed a “charge” against Chioma at the Federal High Court in Abuja instead of Lagos where the case arose. The charge is pending before Hon. Justice A. R Mohammed. I later got wind of their plot after a tip-off.

“When the case filed by the police in Abuja came up on 7th December 2023, the police counsel informed the court that they were unable to serve my client with the charge (this is not accurate as no attempt was made in this regard).

“The police counsel then applied for an adjournment for them to file a motion to enable them serve my client with the charge through substituted means. Justice Mohammed granted the application and adjourned the case to Wednesday, 10th January, 2024 for hearing of the motion.

“We are astonished that the police would turn around today to invade the residence of my client and harass her and her baby without recourse to the court where the charge is currently pending.

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“My client has not been served with any charge, summons or arraignment notice as required by law. The case is before the court and is coming up tomorrow, 10th January, 2024 for the hearing of the motion. The police said they would file to secure a court order to serve my client with their “charge” and accompanying documents.

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“The team leader told me over the phone that he is a DSP, and that he has four ASPs with him and other police officers. He also told me that the PSO to the IGP spoke with him directly and that he cannot disobey the order of the IGP despite the court order barring the police from re-arresting my client.

“How can the IGP issue a directive to overrule the subsisting order of a court of competent jurisdiction? Is this how we want to develop our country?

Mr Chizoba Okoli, the husband of Mrs Chioma Okoli on Tuesday narrated how his family was put under house arrest by the police.

Chizoba said in a video posted by Effiong on X that the police disconnected his flat from the national power grid, leaving his pregnant wife and little children without electricity.

He described the situation of his family as hostile, adding that if anything harmful should happen to them, the police and Erisco Company should be held responsible.