The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has petitioned the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), urging it to pressure the Nigeria Police Force to comply with court rulings awarding ₦90 million in compensation to 21-year-old Gloria Okolie, a victim of unlawful detention and abuse.
In a letter dated May 26, 2025, and addressed to the NBA President at the association’s headquarters in Abuja, RULAAC described Gloria’s case as a severe violation of human rights and a disgrace to Nigeria’s justice system.
Gloria went missing in June 2021 while preparing for her university entrance exam. Unknown to her family, she was held at the Tiger Base of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in Owerri, Imo State. During her detention, she was allegedly subjected to degrading treatment and forced to work as a domestic servant for police officers.
Despite multiple efforts, her family received no help and faced extortion attempts from police operatives. After nearly 70 days, the police claimed—without credible evidence—that Gloria was a “spy” for the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). She was transferred to Abuja, where she remained in custody without formal charges for several months.
It wasn’t until November 2021—five months later—that Gloria was officially charged and later granted bail. Courts later ruled her detention unlawful: the ECOWAS Court awarded her ₦30 million, while the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court awarded ₦60 million.
Despite these rulings, the police have yet to pay the compensation.
RULAAC’s Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, called on the NBA to take a firm stance, emphasizing that Gloria’s experience mirrors the widespread abuse and impunity in Nigeria’s policing system. The petition calls on the NBA to ensure the enforcement of court orders, demand accountability from the police, and champion broader legal reforms to protect citizens from similar violations.
RULAAC stressed that Gloria’s case is not an isolated incident but part of a troubling pattern of systemic rights abuses by law enforcement in Nigeria.
