The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) says Glory Okolie, the 22-year-old woman who was arrested for being friends with a suspected member of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is a spy for the proscribed group.
The police disclosed this in a statement signed by Aremu Adeniran, deputy force public relations officer, in Abuja on Sunday.
TheCable had reported that Okolie was said to have been arrested on June 17, by officers of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in Imo state in order to use her as bait to arrest her boyfriend who is suspected to be a member of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Usman Baba, inspector-general of police, had also ordered an investigation into the alleged detention of the young woman.
The police in the press statement said Okolie is a member of IPOB, who worked with one Benjamin Uzoma Emojiri to unleash violent attacks on police officers and police stations in Imo state.
“Okolie takes advantage of her gender and seemingly innocuous looks as camouflage to carry out espionage against military and police,” the statement reads.
“Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, working with the Military and other security forces, have arrested one 22-year-old female suspect, Gloria Okolie, for her complicity in the series of deliberate and well-coordinated attacks on security formations, other critical national infrastructure including INEC offices and killing of security operatives in the South-Eastern part of the country.
“The suspect, a native of Umutanza in Imo State, was arrested following ongoing investigations and implementation of special operation, Operation Restore Peace, to amongst other things, break the information, drugs and arms supply chain to the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network in the South-East region.
“Police Investigations revealed that Gloria Okolie is a member of IPOB/ESN in Imo State who worked closely with one Benjamin Uzoma Emojiri a.k.a “Onye Army”, one of the ESN commanders earlier declared wanted by the Police for his lead roles in planning, coordinating and executing the attack on the Imo State Police Command Headquarters and Imo State Headquarters of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
“Her arrest and the revelations from her confession, assisted the Police in the arrest of “Onye Army”, a major breakthrough in the quest to restoring law and order in the South-East region.”
But reacting, Harrison Gwamnishu, an activist and director-general of Behind Bars Human Rights Foundation, queried why the police did not issue a statement since the arrest took place, adding that the action is against the provision of the constitution.
“After using Glory Okolie as beast of burden, abused by Nigeria Police Force officers and unlawfully detained for over 72days, and upon realising that the world has taken notice of her unlawful detention and abuse by police officers, the IGP of Police caused this “earthshaking” press release to be issued to demonise Glory Okolie,” he said.
“The first few questions to the IGP are these: Why was she detained and used as a beast of burden to cook and help police officers wash their clothes at Tiger Base in Owerri, Imo state if she is so dangerous? Why not issue this release since her arrest 70 days ago? Why wasn’t she charged to court since her arrest when the law says you have no right to detain beyond 48 hours? Why was the fellow who exposed her unlawful detention also detained?
“It is obvious that this belated press statement was designed as a ruse to cover up some police atrocities!”
