The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court has delivered a landmark ruling in favor of Gloria Okolie, a 24-year-old woman detained by the Nigeria Police Force for alleged ties to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The court, sitting in Abuja on Thursday, ordered the police to pay Okolie N30 million in damages for unlawful detention, abuse, and enslavement.
Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves, who presided over the case, condemned the police for holding Okolie for 248 days without trial.
Okolie’s ordeal began in June 2021 when she was arrested by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria Police Force.
She was accused of being a spy for IPOB and the Eastern Security Network (ESN), both of which have been linked to separatist activities in the southeastern region of Nigeria.
Instead of being brought to trial, Okolie was allegedly subjected to inhumane treatment.
“She was detained beyond the legally permissible 60 days for capital offences and forced to serve as a maid in detention,” Justice Gonçalves noted in his ruling.
Samuel Ihensekhien Jr., Okolie’s lawyer, described her treatment as a gross violation of human rights.
“The federal government admitted that Gloria was detained for over 90 days without legal justification,” Ihensekhien said.
“This is a breach of the Nigerian constitution, international treaties, and every known legal framework.”
The court awarded N30 million in damages against the police for their actions.
In addition, it fined the federal government N1 million for what it described as a “nonchalant and disdainful attitude” during court proceedings.
The ECOWAS Court judgment comes on the heels of a previous ruling by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court.
On June 23, 2022, the FCT High Court awarded Okolie N60 million in damages against the federal government for her unlawful detention.
“The total judgment debt owed to Gloria now stands at N90 million,” Ihensekhien said.
Okolie’s story drew national outrage after it was revealed in 2021.
She disappeared on June 17, 2021, and her family had no idea of her whereabouts for weeks.
Reports later surfaced that she was being held at the IRT office in Owerri, where she was forced to cook and wash clothes for officers.
The police eventually admitted to holding her, alleging that she had ties to an ESN commander, Benjamin Uzoma Emojiri, also known as “Onye Army.”
According to the police, Emojiri was wanted for orchestrating attacks on the Imo State Police Command Headquarters and a correctional facility in Owerri.
The revelation of Okolie’s detention caused a social media storm, with activists and rights groups calling for her release.
Following her release, Okolie filed a lawsuit against the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, seeking justice for her ordeal.
“This judgment is a step towards accountability,” her lawyer stated.