By Okechukwu Keshi Ukegbu
Despite huge public outcry her incarceration has generated, justice is yet to come her way. But who knows if the current intervention by One Love Foundation would proffer the long-awaited freedom.
Gloria Okolie, a 21-year-old young woman arrested by operatives of the Inspector-General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT) from Imo State.The police alleged that she was friends with a suspected member of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). She was later transferred to Abuja, despite efforts by her family members to secure his release.
After more than 100 days in detention, the police, in one bogus statement in July 2021, said she was arrested for alleged membership of IPOB and for working with one Benjamin Uzoma Emojiri to attack officers and stations in Imo.
The question currently agitating minds of pundits and analysts is” will Gloria Okolie obtain justice this time around from the intervention of One Love Foundation?” One Love Foundation has slammed a N100bn case against the federal government over abduction, detention of Gloria Okolie which the court is set to hear.
Among the prayers sought by the suit are a declaration by the honourable court, that the act of the respondent in detaining the 1st applicant from the 13th June 2021 till date, without an order of any court permitting same, is a violation of the 1st Applicant’s right to fair hearing and Personal Liberty as enshrined in articles 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Chapter A9 LFN, 2004; a declaration of the honourable court, that the act of the Respondent in detaining the 1st applicant from the 13th June 2021,and beyond 71 (seventy one) days till date ,without an order of any court permitting same, is a violation of the 1st applicant’s right to fair hearing and Personal Liberty as enshrined in articles 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Chapter A9 LFN, 2004; a declaration that the beating/slapping, torturing, physical assault and verbal/vulgar abuse of the applicant by the 1st respondent and the respondents IGP IRT officers, without the applicant commiting any crime known to law whatsoever, is illegal, unconstitutional and amounts to a violation of the 1st Applicant’s right to fair hearing and Personal Liberty as enshrined in articles 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Chapter A9 LFN, 2004; a declaration that the usage of the applicant by the respondent IGP IRT officers by sexually assaulting the 1st applicant, usage of the 1st applicant to wash the respondent officers clothes and usage of the applicant to cook for the respondents IGP IRT officers, even when the applicant was in the illegalcustody of the respondent, and without the applicant commiting any crime known to law whatsoever, is illegal, unconstitutional and amounts to a violation of the applicant’s right to fair hearing and Personal Liberty as enshrined in Section 35 & 36 of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and articles 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 of the AfricanCharter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) ActChapter A9 LFN, 2004.
The suit further seeks an order of the honourable court restraining the respondent to desist from engaging in untoward, violent and irrational conducts against the 1st applicant ; an order of the honourable court, granting bail to the 1st applicant on liberal terms to wit, unconditionally and conditionally pending the time, the respondent deem it fit, to charge the 1st applicant to court in this regard.;an order of the Honourable Court mandating the respondent to pay the 1st pplicant the sum of N100,000,000,000.00 (One Hundred billion Naira) as general and punitive damages separately for infringing on the rights of the 1st applicant; an order of the honourable court mandating the respondent to pay the 1st Applicant the sum of N50,000,000.00 (Fifty Million Naira) as punitive damages for its recklessness, bias, malice, failure to perform its statutory duty when the Respondents officers within his knowledge, wholly infringed on the fundamental rights of the 1st applicant in this regard;and for such further Orders as this honourable court may deem fit.
The ECOWAS Court, which shall be sitting at Accra Ghana, will on 28th March 2022 hear the case.
Only time will tell if Gloria Okolie will get justice this time around!
