The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice sitting in Abuja has fined the Federal Government of Nigeria the sum of N1 million for delaying the hearing of a suit on the enslavement of 22-year-old Glory Okolie by men of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT).

According to Samuel Ihensekhien, the Abuja-based human rights lawyer who represented Okolie in ECOWAS Court, the federal government refused to file a response to the suit he had filed and instead requested an adjournment from the court.

“The court awarded the money against the federal government because of the FG’s nonchalant and disdainful attitude in the court. They delayed proceedings and hearing of this case because they refused to file any proceeding.”

FIJ had reported how officers of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) arrested Glory on June 17, 2021, and held her as a maid for several weeks. She was later released on March 23, 2022, after spending 248 days in detention.

Following her release, Ihensekhien and One Love Foundation, a non-governmental organisation formed for the promotion of good governance, headed to ECOWAS Court seeking N100 billion naira from the federal government as “general and punitive” damages for infringing on Okolie’s fundamental human rights.

After awarding N1 million against the federal government for delaying the proceeding, the court adjourned the case until April 24, 2022.