Amnesty International, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), and 20 other civil society organizations, including the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Media Rights Agenda, Human Rights Social Development and Environmental Foundation (HURSDEF), Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), and Centre for Human Rights Advocacy and Wholesome Society (CEHRAWS), have called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the case of Gloria Okolie, a 21-year-old unlawfully detained by police in Imo State in 2021.
Okolie was arrested on June 17, 2021, by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in Owerri, Imo State. She endured over 70 days of incommunicado detention, forced domestic servitude, and denial of access to family and legal counsel. Public outcry led to her eventual court appearance, where both a Nigerian Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court and the ECOWAS Court of Justice ruled her fundamental rights were violated. In June 2022, the FCT High Court awarded her N60 million in damages, and the ECOWAS Court later ordered an additional N30 million. Despite these rulings, the Nigerian government has yet to pay the total N90 million owed to Okolie as of August 2025.
In a petition dated August 21, 2025, the groups expressed dismay over the government’s failure to comply with the court orders, despite multiple unanswered letters to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice. They warned that this inaction undermines Nigeria’s justice system and its international credibility, given Nigeria’s legal obligation to honor ECOWAS Court rulings.
The groups urged President Tinubu to:
- Direct the Attorney-General to ensure immediate compliance with the court judgments.
- Order the Nigeria Police Force to pay Okolie the N90 million compensation for her unlawful detention and abuse.
- Use this case to demonstrate a commitment to the rule of law and accountability within law enforcement.
The petitioners emphasized that Okolie’s case reflects broader issues of impunity and disregard for court orders in Nigeria. They stressed that addressing this matter decisively would deliver justice to Okolie and signal the government’s dedication to upholding democratic values and human rights.
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