NBA-SPIDEL Chair, Monday Ubani, Gives Police 14 Days Ultimatum To Release Gloria Okolie, Charge Her To Court Or Face Court Action

*Says Her Incarceration For 67 Days Contravenes Her Rights To Personal Liberty And Dignity Of Human Person
*Says Arrest Before Sourcing For Evidence Is Wrong

The Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law, NBA-SPIDEL, Monday Ubani, has 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” made available to TheNigeriaLawyer, said Okolie 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. According to him, the other allegations that Okolie carried out espionage against the military cannot be basis of 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 Okolie to court or release her unconditionally default of which a fundamental fundamental rights enforcement suit will be filed.

“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.

#FreeGloriaOkolieNow.” Ubani said