Published 20th Aug, 2021

By Mariam Hamzat

Officers of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Respond Squad (IRT), Tiger Base, Owerri, Imo State, have arrested Izuchukwu Okeke for revealing the whereabouts of Glory Okolie, a 21-year-old lady enslaved in their office for several weeks.

Okeke was arrested about six weeks ago after revealing that Glory was being used as a cook and cleaner in IRT’s office. Earlier, he had been detained and his motorcycle seized by the officers following a raid. While in custody, he witnessed the arrest and detention of Glory as bait to arrest her suspected Indigenous Peolple of Biafra (IPOB) boyfriend, as well as her subsequent enslavement by the officers.

Glory’s family had been looking for her for weeks before Okeke told them she was in prison. The family then visited IRT, Tiger Base, to secure her release but was not allowed to see her. In order to punish Okeke for the revelation, the officers invited him to pick his motorcycle. When he showed up, they arrested him.

On Friday, Harrison Gwamishu, co-funder of Behind Bars Initiative (BBI), the organisation that has been fighting for Glory’s freedom, told FIJ that Okeke’s whereabouts have remained unknown since his rearrest.

“When the family visited the IRT office on hearing about Glory’s arrest, the officers got to know that it was the man they released that told them about her whereabouts,” he said. “Therefore, they called him to pick up his motorcycle and then detained him. Till today, nobody has seen him.”

On Thursday, Ofilli Maureen Oby, one of the lawyers working with BBI on Glory’s case, said the initiative was working hard to secure her release.

“We have been able to confirm that she was arrested and transferred to Abuja. Our team of about nine lawyers, including Harrison, will be going there soon to secure her release. If that doesn’t work, then we will be taking further legal steps,” Oby said.

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