HURIWA condemns continuous persecution of Gloria Okolie

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) on Saturday, slammed the Nigeria Police Force for its continuous persecution of 21-year-old Gloria Okolie, who was erroneously arrested for allegedly being a spy for the Indigenous People of Biafra.

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, lambasted the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, over the rearrest of the young lady despite that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had granted her bail and she had perfected her bail conditions.

The 21-year-old was released in March after being detained for nine months since June 17, 2021, by the Nigerian police for allegedly being a spy for IPOB’s Eastern Security Network, an allegation that has proven false.

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Okolie was earlier detained at the Intelligence Response Team office in Owerri, Imo State before she was transferred to Abuja and subjected to dehumanising treatment including being turned to a maid, washing and cooking in detention, amongst other rights violations, as said by an activist, Harrison Gwamnishu.

The activist also published cash transaction slips of N220,000 allegedly collected by the policemen from Okolie’s relations for her release but she was held back and her rights contravened.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on November 23, 2021, had granted bail to Okolie in the sum of N10 million with two sureties and she had perfected the bail conditions but the police didn’t release her till March.

To the shock of many observers, Okolie was rearrested days after her release from the Suleja correctional centre in Niger State in March after about nine months in detention. According to reports, Okolie was rearrested by the Imo State Police Command when she went to a bank in Owerri to withdraw some of her money.

Reacting to the continuous violation of Okolie’s rights and the gross disregard for court orders by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, HURIWA’s Onwubiko asked all persons of conscience and gender advocates to rise and defend the innocent young lady persecuted by the police for no justifiable reason.

Onwubiko said, “The continuous mistreatment, enslavement, imprisonment of Gloria Okolie has become unbecoming and should stop forthwith.

“It is worrisome that the police in its characteristic manner again shunned a Federal High Court order of November 23, 2021 granting Okolie bail but the overzealous and lawless policemen under IGP Usman Baba went ahead to rearrest Okolie who was granted bail by the court.

“The illegality of the action of the police is glaring in Section 36 (5) of the Nigerian Constitution that states that every person who is charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed to be innocent until he is proved guilty.”