A coalition of over 35 civil society organisations (CSOs) has issued a joint petition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging his immediate intervention to enforce two court judgments ordering the Nigerian government to pay a total of ₦90 million in compensation to Gloria Okolie.
The 21-year-old was unlawfully arrested and held incommunicado by the Nigeria Police Force for more than 70 days in 2021.
The petition, signed by prominent CSOs including Amnesty International Nigeria and Media Rights Agenda, highlights what they describe as a “glaring disregard for the rule of law” and a lack of accountability within the country’s justice system.
Gloria Okolie’s ordeal began on June 17, 2021, when she was secretly arrested by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in Owerri, Imo State. For over two months, she was held incommunicado, subjected to forced domestic servitude, and allegedly exploited for extortion. Her family and lawyers were denied access until sustained public outcry forced the police to acknowledge her detention.
Despite eventually being charged in court, the CSOs argue that the damage had already been done. Both Nigerian and international courts have since ruled in her favour. On June 23, 2022, the FCT High Court awarded her ₦60 million in damages. Subsequently, the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja ordered an additional ₦30 million as compensation.
“To date, more than one year after these judgments, Gloria has not received justice in practical terms,” the petition states. “The Federal Government of Nigeria now owes her a total of ₦90 million in judgment debts.”
The CSOs revealed that Gloria’s lawyer has sent three separate letters to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, requesting compliance with the judgments, but has received no response. This silence, they say, has compelled them to bring the matter directly to the President’s attention.
The coalition argues that failure to comply with the binding judgments not only erodes public trust in Nigeria’s judiciary but also damages the country’s international standing. They stressed that as a state party, Nigeria is legally obligated to respect the jurisdiction of the ECOWAS Court.
The petition calls on President Tinubu to take three decisive actions: Direct the Attorney-General to ensure immediate compliance with the court judgments, Mandate the Nigeria Police Force to promptly pay the total sum of ₦90 million awarded to Gloria Okolie and Use the case to demonstrate the administration’s commitment to the rule of law and human rights, ensuring law enforcement agencies are held accountable for violations.
“Gloria’s case is emblematic of the wider challenges of abuse, impunity, and disregard for court orders in our justice system,” the CSOs concluded. “Addressing it decisively will not only provide long-overdue justice to a young Nigerian woman but will also send a strong signal that your government stands firmly on the side of the rule of law and democratic values.”
- Centre for Human Rights Advocacy and Wholesome Society (CEHRAWS)
- Initiative for Social Development in Africa (iSODAF)
- Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD Nigeria)
- Human Rights Social Development and Environmental Foundation (HURSDEF)
- Spaces for Change
- Nchekwa Ndi Ogbenye Foundation
- Media Rights Agenda
- Vivacious Development Initiative (VIDI)
- Sterling Law Centre
- Vision Spring Initiatives
- OCCEN Nigeria
- Women in Media Communications Initiative (WIM)
- Institutional and Sustainable Development Foundation
- Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre
- Mothers And Marginalised Advocacy Centre (MAMA Centre)
- The Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED)
- Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD)
- Amnesty International Nigeria
- 21st Century Community Empowerment for Youth and Women Initiative
- HEDA Resource Centre
- Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)
- Centre for Community Empowerment and Poverty Eradication (CCEPE)
- African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL)
- Democracy and Human Rights Network (DHRN)
- Initiative for Research, Innovation and Advocacy in Development (IRIAD)
- Initiative for Public Safety Security and Educational Development in Nigeria (IPSSED Network)
- Grassroots Development Monitoring and Advocacy Centre (GDMAC)
- Open Society on Justice Reform Project
- Community Outreach for Development and Welfare Advocacy (CODWA)
- Partnership for Social and Environmental Development Initiative (P4SEDI)
- Restorative Justice for Africa (REJA) Initiative
- Centre for Community Empowerment in Conflict and Peacebuiding
- Building Blocks for Peace Foundation
- Center for Peace Education and Community Development Taraba
- Dataphyte Foundation
- Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative
- TruORGANIC Initiative for Social and Communities Development
