…as One Love Foundation prepares to storm Ghana for Glory Okolie judgment at ECOWAS Court of Justice
The fundamental rights enforcement case filed by Glory Okolie and supported by more than 51 civil society groups, came up for hearing today March 22nd, 2022.
Glory Okolie was allegedly detained and held in cell by the IGP IRT unit of Nigeria Police Force for more than 150 days, which is illegal by Nigerian laws.
She was arrested on an alleged spying for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).When the case came up, there was no legal representation for either the Nigeria Police, IGP who were joined in the said suit as the first, second respondents and neither was there legal representation for AGF or DCP Tunji Disu, the IRT commander joined as the third and fourth respondents.
Abuja based human rights lawyer, Samuel Ihensekhien Jnr appeared alone in representation for Glory Okolie.
Ihensekhien Jnr urged the court to proceed with hearing of the case.
In view of service of hearing notices and originating process on all parties in the matter, the presiding judge, Justice Yesuf Haliyu of the FCT High Court noted same, and allowed hearing in this regard.
Ihensekhien Samuel Jnr in moving the application urged the court to take note of the June 13th 2021 illegal detention of Miss Okolie to the 9th November 2021 before she was arraigned by all the defendants in this matter and urged the court to grant all her claims including her 100 billion naira damages claims in the filed suit.
The court then reserved the matter for judgement.
It should be noted that Glory Okolie in the case filed at the FCT High Court is asking the court to mandate the respondents to pay her the sum of N100,000,000,000.00 (one hundred billion naira) as general and punitive damages separately for infringing on her rights.
“A DECLARATION of this honourable court, that the act of the Respondent in detaining the 1st applicant from the 13th June 2021 till date, without an order of any court permitting same, is a violation of the 1st Applicant’s right to fair hearing and Personal Liberty as enshrined in articles 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Chapter A9 LFN, 2004,” the court document read.
“A DECLARATION of this honourable court, that the act of the Respondent in detaining the 1ST applicant from the 13th June 2021,and beyond 71 (seventy one) days till date ,without an order of any court permitting same, is a violation of the 1ST Applicant’s right to fair hearing and Personal Liberty as enshrined in articles 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Chapter A9 LFN, 2004
“A DECLARATION that the beating/slapping, torturing, physical assault and verbal/vulgar abuse of the Applicant by the 1st Respondent and the respondents igp irt officers, without the applicant committing any crime known to law whatsoever, is illegal, unconstitutional and amounts to a violation of the 1st Applicant’s right to fair hearing and Personal Liberty as enshrined in articles 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Chapter A9 LFN, 2004.
“A DECLARATION that the usage of the Applicant by the respondent IGP IRT officers by sexually assaulting the 1st applicant, usage of the 1st applicant to wash the respondent officers clothes and usage of the applicant to cook for the respondents IGP IRT officers ,even when the applicant was in the illegal custody of the respondent, and without the applicant committing any crime known to law whatsoever, is illegal, unconstitutional and amounts to a violation of the Applicant’s right to fair hearing and Personal Liberty as enshrined in Section 35 & 36 of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and articles 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Chapter A9 LFN, 2004.
“AN ORDER of this Honourable Court restraining the Respondent to desist from engaging in untoward, violent and irrational conducts against the 1st Applicant.
“AN Order of this honourable court, granting bail to the 1st applicant on liberal terms to wit: unconditionally and conditionally pending the time the respondent deem it fit, to charge the 1st applicant to court in this regard.
“AN ORDER of this Honourable Court mandating the Respondent to pay the 1st Applicant the sum of N100,000,000,000.00 (One Hundred Billion Naira) as general and punitive damages separately for infringing on the rights of the 1st applicant.
“AN ORDER of this Honourable Court mandating the Respondent to pay the 1st Applicant the sum of N50,000,000.00 (Fifty Million Naira) as punitive damages for its recklessness, bias, malice, failure to perform its statutory duty when the Respondents officers within his knowledge, wholly infringed on the fundamental rights of the 1st Applicant in this regard.”
According to the court document, Okolie, 21, went missing on June 13, 2021, while running an errand in Imo state, “and never returned home on that day”.
It read in part, “That from the 17th June 2021, the family members started making all frantic search of the 1st applicant in hospitals, churches, and mosque, all to no avail.
“That the family members, in search of the 1st applicant actually approached the Owerri command of Nigeria Police Force, who charged the uncle of the 1st applicant, the sum of N50,000,00k to track vide telephone tracking the last known address of the 1st applicant.
“That the phone tracking above showed that the 1st applicant was detained by the respondent IGP IRT officers at their Owerri Tiger base unit of the respondent, and when the uncle approached this office, the respondent Owerri Tiger base unit denied ever seeing her.
Meanwhile, the leadership of One Love Foundation led by Chief Patrick Eholor will be storming Ghana to represent Miss Okolie at the ECOWAS Court of Justice on March 28, 2022.