The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has issued a firm denunciation of the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Nigeria Police Force over their ongoing refusal to comply with two separate court judgments awarding ₦70 million in compensation to Miss Glory Okolie, a young woman whose harrowing ordeal in police custody sparked national outrage.
Okolie, a student at the time of her arrest, was picked up by officers of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in Owerri, Imo State, on June 13, 2021, and detained unlawfully for months.
During her time in custody, she was allegedly subjected to degrading treatment, denied legal counsel, and compelled to perform domestic chores for officers—a painful experience that left her family distraught as they searched for her, fearing the worst.
In June 2022, the FCT High Court awarded ₦60 million in punitive and general damages for the violation of her fundamental rights.
Later, the ECOWAS Court of Justice, in a landmark ruling delivered on November 21, 2024, ordered an additional ₦10 million compensation, declaring her prolonged, incommunicado detention a breach of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Yet, despite these legally binding judgments, authorities have refused to take action.
RULAAC’s Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, revealed that official appeals to the Attorney-General’s office have gone unanswered, further deepening the trauma suffered by Okolie and raising serious concerns over Nigeria’s commitment to the rule of law.
RULAAC’s Demands: immediate payment of ₦70 million awarded to Miss Okolie, public apology for the suffering inflicted, accountability for law enforcement officers involved and Institutional reforms to prevent future abuses.
“Court judgments are not advisory—they are binding,” RULAAC emphasised, calling on human rights organisations, foreign missions, and Nigeria’s development partners to pressure the government into enforcing judicial authority.
The case of Glory Okolie, RULAAC warns, is emblematic of a broader culture of impunity in Nigerian law enforcement. “Justice delayed is justice denied. Justice defied is justice destroyed,” the statement concludes.
