The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, sitting in Abuja, has reserved judgment in the case concerning the illegal detention of 22-year-old Glory Okolie by the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria Police Force in 2021.
Samuel Ihensekhien, a human rights lawyer based in Abuja who represents Okolie in the case, noted that the Federal Government, in its defense before the court, admitted to detaining Okolie for more than 90 days without legal justification. This detention violated several laws, treaties, the Nigerian Constitution, and other legal frameworks.
The court reserved judgment after hearing arguments from all parties. This case follows a 2022 ruling in which the ECOWAS court ordered the Federal Government to pay N1 million in compensation due to its delay in court proceedings and failure to file necessary processes on time.
According to case records, Okolie was arrested on June 17, 2021, by IRT officers and held in captivity for 248 days, during which she was allegedly forced to work as a maid. She was released on March 23, 2022.
After her release, Ihensekhien and the One Love Foundation,
a non-governmental organization advocating for justice and good governance, filed a suit at the ECOWAS Court seeking N100 billion in general and punitive damages from the Federal Government for the violation of Okolie’s fundamental human rights.
In its initial sitting, the ECOWAS Court awarded N1 million to Okolie for the government’s delay in the proceedings. The final judgment is now awaited.
