No Justification For Detaining Gloria Okolie, 22, Over 60 Days Without Court Trial –Rights Group

Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign has expressed dismay over indefinite Police detention of 22-year old Goria Okolie for over 60 days without charging her to court for trial.

This was contained in a statement signed by the National Coordinator,
Centre For Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, Prince Wiro, dated August 22, 2021.

“We are disturbed by the impunity in the press release issued by CSP Aremu Adeniran, Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja dated 22nd, August, 2021 on the subject, “VIOLENT ATTACKS IN THE SOUTH-EAST: POLICE ARREST MILITANTS’ SPY GIRL”.

“For us, there is no justification for the continuous detention of Goria for over 60 days now without being charged and arraigned for the allegations of “complicity in series of deliberate and well coordinated attacks on security formations, other critical national assets including INEC offices and killing of security operatives in south-east Nigeria,” the group said.

The centre reminded the Nigeria Police that the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria has no provision for indefinite detention of a suspect beyond 48 hours, talk much of incarcerating a citizen for 60 days without a court order.

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“Gloria Okolie, in line with the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria in Section 36(5) in consonant with African and United Nations Charter on human and peoples’ right in which Nigeria is signatory, is presumed innocent until proven guilty by court of competent jurisdiction, irrespective of the allegations against her.

“It’s disappointing that CSP Adeniran’s press release failed to address the concerns raised by rights activist, Harrison Gwamnishu, who is following up the case, when he alleged that the suspect, Gloria, is being used as maid by the operatives of IRT, a unit of the Nigeria Police Force to cook and wash their clothes,” it said..

The group lamented that more disturbing is the failure of the press release to address allegation of extortion of money from the family of Gloria by personnel of IRT, Nigeria Police Force since her arrest on June 17, 2021.

“The revelation made by the family of Gloria Okolie and the rights activist that the suspect was kept incommunicado by the Nigeria Police for weeks which is in violation of the Anti-Torture act 2017,section 3(2) which state that “secret detention places, solitary confinement, INCOMMUNICADO or other similar forms of detention where torture may be carried is prohibited is nothing less than height of human rights abuse.

“We use this medium to advise the Nigeria Police Force to salvage their tainted integrity on human and peoples’ right if there is any left by arraigning Gloria Okolie in court without further delay.

“As much as we condemn crime/criminality in its entirety, we wish to remind the Police once more that Nigeria is governed by laws and no individual or entity is above the laws of the land,” it said.