Release Suspected Female IPOB Member, Gloria Okolie From Detention - Global Human Rights Group Tells Police

 

Amnesty International has called out the Nigerian Police over the alleged and illegal detention of Gloria Okolie.

 

Recall that the police had accused Gloria of being a member of the Eastern Security Network controlled by the Nnamdi Kanu-led Indigenous People of Biafra.

 

She was later arrested in connection to the attacks on security formations and critical national infrastructures in the South East which saw the death of many security operatives.

 

The police had described the 21-year-old woman as an intermediate person who receives cash, drugs and weapons on behalf of IPOB and ESN.

 

They had said she also helped in delivering same to their commanders in their various camps adding that she actively aided multiple acts of murder, arson and malicious damage through her criminal activities, to both private and public property by the ESN.

 

But Gloria had continued to witness ill treatments in detention while the police extorted her family members on false promises to secure her release.

 

Meanwhile, in a statement released by AI on Monday, the rights’ group expressed its dissatisfaction over the prolonged detention of the young woman.

 

It added that Gloria should be released or charged with a recognisable offence.

 

The statement reads, “The Nigerian police must release Gloria Okolie. The 21-year-old student has been in detention since June 17, 2021, for alleged involvement with a suspected ESN/IPOB member.

 

“Her lawyer told Amnesty International that she was arrested by the IRT unit of the Nigerian Police in Imo State and taken to Abuja where she remains in detention without access to her family members and lawyer in violation of her human rights.

 

“Her lawyer also alleges that Gloria has been subjected to ill-treatment while in detention. The police also continued to extorting her family on false promises to release her.

 

“We are calling on police authorities to immediately release her or charge her with a recognisable offence. The police authorities must investigate her prolonged detention and alleged ill-treatment and ensure that officers found culpable are punished according to law.

 

“Amnesty International has in the past documented several cases of ill-treatment including sexual abuse of women in police detention.”