By Akinwale Kasali
The arrest and detention of Gloria Okolie by the Intelligence Response Team, IRT, of the Nigeria Police in Owerri, Imo State have generated controversy and at the front burner on social media platforms.
Gloria is said to be an informant and a militant working for the Eastern Security Network. This was contained in a Press Release issued on August 22, 2021 by the Public Relations Department of the Nigeria Police Force titled; “VIOLENT ATTACKS IN THE SOUTH-EAST: POLICE ARREST MILITANTS’ SPY GIRL”, that alleged that she is a spy for the said militant group.
However, foremost activist and Executive Director of Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Center, RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma, says the claim by the Police came to him as shock and disbelief.
The Group said It sounded like an afterthought and a desperate, but feeble attempt at damage control.
According to Nwanguma in a statement signed by him, “It has more potential of doing further damage to the already battered image of the Nigeria Police than the possibility of burnishing it.
“First, the young girl referred to in the press release as ‘militants’ spy girl’ is the same 22- year-old Gloria Okolie whose case has been trending on social media for the past 2 days. She was reportedly arrested and kept in secret custody by the notorious Intelligence Response Team (IRT) Tiger Base, Owerri Imo State for the past 70 days and her parents did not know her whereabouts until one Izuchukwu Okeke who was also held in custody by the IRT for about 6 weeks and later released went to inform her parents that she was being detained at the IRT where she was turned to a slave.
“It was also revealed that the IRT operatives denied Gloria’s parents access to her when they came to see her and had continued to extort money from them on false promises to release her. They eventually transferred her to the Abuja office of the IRT after several visits by her parents and her lawyer who were denied access”.
Nwanguma alleged that the police held Gloria in secret detention for several weeks without contacting her parents to let them know her whereabouts and the reason for detaining her, as required by the Police Act 2020. This he said makes the detention unlawful. The police also did not facilitate for her access to legal representation as required by the Police Act 2020. The police did not charge her to court but held her far beyond the legally permissible duration for lawful detention
“It was not until someone released from the IRT custody revealed to Gloria’s parents that Gloria was in IRT custody and public attention drawn to the her unlawful detention and enslavement did the police now resort to the face saving stratagem of issuing a Press Releases purporting that Gloria is a ‘Militant’s Spy Girl’ a likely attempt to incriminate her and justify their Illegal and unconstitutional actions.
“Assuming without conceding that Gloria is what the Police now claim she is, why did they not contact her parents upon her arrest? Why did they not facilitate for her access to legal representation which she is legally entitled to? Why was she not charged to court and evidence tendered to prosecute her?
“Why did the police rearrest the young man who revealed to Gloria’s parents that she was in IRT custody? Where is the young man? Why were the Police intent on keeping the young girls detention secret?
“70 days after she’s been held in custody, police claims that ‘investigation is being concluded to enable the police arraign her in court for prosecution’.
“This is sheer after-thought and an attempt to cover dirty tracks and deceive Nigerians. The police should not destroy the life and future of the young girl just to save face.
“But why should we believe the police this time? The same IRT claimed hours after the killing of Gulak that they had neutralised the suspects who killed him. Not a single of the alleged killers was arrested to enable police get useful information from the supposed gang about others who may be involved in the murder. Nothing more has been heard of that tragic murder till date.
“The Police, especially, in Imo State, have put themselves in a position where nobody believes anything they say. Even the media no longer trust the statements they issue about arrested persons. Most journalists are now careful about depending on their report as valid account of any incident”, the group said.
In the same vein, the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law, NBA-SPIDEL, Monday Ubani, advised the Nigerian Police to either release Gloria Okolie or charge her to court.
Ubani, in a statement titled “RELEASE GLORIA OKOLIE UNCONDITIONALLY OR CHARGE HER TO COURT IF SHE IS HAS COMMITTED ANY CRIME” said Gloria has allegedly been in detention for the past 67 days over her friendship with an alleged member of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
He further described the detention as wicked and illegal, stressing that the other allegations that Gloria carried out espionage against the military cannot be basis for long incarceration in law
He said, “Our attention has been drawn to the long and illegal detention of one Gloria Okolie by the Nigerian Police Authorities for over 67 days for her friendship with an alleged IPOB member.
“It is further alleged that while she is under the police detention in Owerri, she has been used as a slave(beast of burden) and terribly abused, tortured by the officers in charge of her detention. While these allegations are yet to be verified as no lawyer or relation had had access to her, we are of the candid opinion that there are many things wrong with this detention which we consider patently illegal, wickedly and appalling.
“What makes this matter more shocking is the latest press release of the current Inspector General of Police after over 67 days conceding to the arrest and illegal long detention on the ground that she was providing information, drugs and weapons to the said IPOB members. According to the IGP ‘further investigations by the police team revealed that Gloria Okolie takes advantage of her gender and seemingly innocuous looks as camouflage to carry out espionage against military and police targets on behalf of IPOB/ESN.’ The truth of the matter is that if the IGP thinks that this explanation will justify this long and illegal detention of this young lady, it has further exposed the incompetence and illegality with which the security agencies carry out investigations in Nigeria .
“Assuming but not conceding that these ‘grave allegations’ are true, does this by any stretch of imagination empower any security agency any right to detain a citizen for such lenght of time, thereby depriving her the constitutionally guaranteed rights of freedom of movement, rights of dignity of person and right of fair trial within a reasonable time as provided under 1999 constitution? Nay, her guaranteed rights of presumption of innocence until proven guilty has been destroyed permanently by this lengthy detention without any charge or arraignment.”
The human rights lawyer and activist laments that in spite of consistent advice, Security Agencies have stuck to the primitive and unscientific mode of investigation. That they have become a big embarrassment to the country especially being a self acclaimed giant of Africa
He, therefore, gave the police 14 days ultimatum to either charge Gloria to court or release her unconditionally. A default will attract a fundamental rights enforcement suit.
“We have consistently advise our security agencies to discard this primitive and outrightly unscientific mode of investigation of crimes in this modern times to avoid this unnecessary embarrassment they bring to themselves most times they effect arrest of suspected criminals. We have counselled that scientific and modern mode of investigation of crime is the best global standard that is applicable all over the world even in small African countries with lesser economic viability as Nigeria. Our security agencies have become a big embarrassment to us as a nation, especially when we claim to be giant of Africa.
“It is absolutely wrong to arrest an individual and start sourcing for evidence for prosecution. It is not only achaic but patently criminal for police officers to indulge in this manner of primitive investigation of crime in this modern time.
“We are therefore giving the police authorities 14 days from today to charge Gloria Okolie to court if she has committed any known offence or release her unconditionally. We shall commence the enforcement of her fundamental rights which has been criminally violated if this request is not adhered to as usual by the police authorities. They are deemed adequately advised”.
