News
36 CSOs Petition Osinbajo, Demand Alleged IPOB Informant’s Release
No fewer than 36 civil society organisations (CSOs), have called on Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, to intervene in the case of detained Gloria Okorie, suspected Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), informant, who has been held by the police for over 100 days.
The CSOs in the letter, said: “We, the undersigned human rights and civil society organisations in Nigeria, write to you most respectfully regarding Gloria Okorie, the 21-year-old female from Imo State who has been in police detention for over 100 days.
“Gloria was arrested on June 17, 2021, and detained secretly by the Inspector-General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT), at their Tiger Base office in Owerri, Imo State, before she was transferred to the Abuja headquarters of IRT.
“For 100 days, the Police have continued to stubbornly and contemptuously detain Gloria in defiance of several legitimate efforts to release her, including a court order on the police to release her on bail or immediately charge her to court, repeated pleas and efforts by her parents, family members and lawyers to secure her bail, civil society demands for her release on the grounds of her constitutional rights under Nigeria’s 1999 constitution as well as public outcry and media reports and critical commentaries over her continued detention by the Police in flagrant violation of the law.
This is an indictment on the rule of law credentials of the government.
“Your Excellency, for weeks, Gloria’s parents and relatives searched for their daughter, running from community to community, hospitals to morgues, police station to police station, and churches, in search of any lead until her whereabouts was eventually disclosed by a commercial motorcyclist that was arrested alongside with Gloria two weeks earlier.
“This Good Samaritan traced Gloria’s family to inform them of the location of their ‘missing’ daughter.
“The police issued a belated and face-saving statement through their public relations unit claiming that Gloria was a spy girl for IPOB/ESN.
“This was in response to public outrage over her secret detention and enslavement for 70 days without charging her to court as required by law and causing her and her parents and community serious trauma.
“Your excellency, for the 100 days in unlawful detention, the IRT has stripped Gloria of every fundamental right guaranteed under the Nigeria 1999 Constitution.
“The rights to fair hearing. Rights to speedy trial. Rights to legal representation. Presumption of innocence until convicted by a competent court.
“Rights to dignity. For 100 days, Gloria has been denied access to family. She has been denied access to a lawyer.
“With the conduct of the IRT, it is safe to conclude that the police has already convicted Gloria even without a trial. They have deliberately and consistently kept Gloria incommunicado.
“The police have also continued to conduct itself with impunity despite public outcry and repeated civil society calls for Gloria’s release or immediate arraignment in court.
“Not even a court order on the police, secured on behalf of Gloria will sway the police.
“Instead, the police have continued to stubbornly and contemptuously disregard the court order several weeks after the court’s deadline for her arraignment in court or release.
“The continued detention of Gloria without bail or charge should concern you and every Nigerian genuinely committed to the rule of law and public safety.
“Therefore, having exhausted all avenues to make the police act in accordance with the law unsuccessfully, we are writing to you as a father, a pastor and the Vice President.”
It was gathered that matter has now been referred to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) office by the Vice-President.
“It is also important to order an end to the predatory policing strategy ongoing in Imo State and to order an independent investigation into the fate and/or whereabouts of several other young people randomly picked up and taken away by the police in Imo State by IRT and other units in the pretext of searching for IPOB/ESN members.
“All young people in Imo State are certainly not IPOB/ESN members, and the police should not continue to act on that premise or continue to turn the ‘war’ against IPOB into a war against the youth in Imo State or an opportunity to oppress and prey on residents of the state.”
The CSOs include Civic Space Consortium; Spaces for Change; Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC); Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development, FENRAD Nigeria; International Peace and Civic Responsibility Centre (IPCRC); Human Rights Social Development and Evironmental Foundation (HURSDEF); Public Enlightenment Project (PEP); Citizens’ Solution Network; Centre for Community Empowerment and Poverty Eradication (CCEPE); Dinidari Foundation; Agape Care Initiative, Centre for Impact Advocacy; Youth Initiative Against Violence and Human Rights Abuse (YIAVHA); Dorothy Njemanze Foundation (DNF); FEMBUD, The Interactive Initiative for Social Impact; Tap Initiative; Human Rights Defenders(Huride) Anambra State Chapter; among others.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.
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