THE NIGERIA Police on Sunday, says 22-year-old Gloria Okolie in its custody was arrested for spying for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
A statement by its Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Aremu Adeniran, said she was nabbed in an operation with the military and other security forces.
The Police is under fire for detaining Okolie for weeks, without a thorough explanation of her arrest or offences.
Adeniran explained that the suspect took part in the attacks on security formations, critical infrastructure including INEC offices, and killing of security operatives in the South-East.
The native of Umutanza in Imo was arrested as part of Operation Restore Peace efforts to break IPOB’s information, drugs and arms supply chain,” the spokesman said.
“Onye Army co-planned, coordinated and executed the assault on Imo State Police Command Headquarters and Imo State Headquarters of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS).
“Her arrest and the revelations from her confession, assisted the Police in the arrest of “Onye Army”, a major breakthrough in the quest to restore law and order in the South-East region.”
The Police said Okolie used her gender and seemingly innocuous looks as camouflage to carry out espionage against military and police targets on behalf of IPOB/ESN.
Adeniran said she actively aided and abetted multiple acts of murder, arson and malicious damage to both private and public property by the ESN.
The Police added that the suspect will be charged to court at the end of investigation.
However, a human right activist and the Director General, Behind Bars Family Harrison Gwamnishu in a statement said,
“21 year old Miss Glory Okolie who enrolled for 2021 JAMB exam has been in police detention since 17th June, 2021 till date.
She left the house and never returned.
Since 17th June, her families had searched for her in hospitals and mortuaries but couldn’t find her.
Ending of June, 2021, a young man who was freed from IRT office Tiger Base Owerri told the Okolie family that he saw Glory in the custody of IRT officers cooking and washing clothes for them.
The family immediately went to IRT office and requested to see Glory and bail her out and till date it’s been one story or the other.
“The IRT officers allegedly continued to extort the family and denied them access to see Glory.
Our team launched investigation and discovered Glory has been transferred to Abuja and tagged IPOB/ESN member.
“Behind Bars Human Rights Foundation wishes to draw the attention of IGP Complaint Response Unit Abuja and the new IRT head DCP Tunji Disu to rescue Glory who has now become a maid in Nigeria police custody.
“Attached are evidences of all the money extorted and paid into an account provided by the IRT officers by the family of Glory. “
