Nigerian Police Still Harassing Erisco Tomato Paste Reviewer
Sholape IrepodunJanuary 10, 20243 Mins read519 
Mr Chizoba Okoli, the husband of Chioma Edoka Okoli, the lady previously arrested for her review of Nagiko tomato paste produced by Erisco Foods Limited, has recently told the public that the Nigerian Police are still harassing his family. He narrated how his family was placed under house arrest by the police in Lagos on Tuesday, 9th January 2024.
In a video posted by his wife’s lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, on X (formerly Twitter), Chizoba claims the police disconnected his flat from the national electricity grid, leaving his pregnant wife and little children without power supply. An act that is described as an abuse of human rights by UN standards. According to him, they have also prevented them from going about their normal daily lives, making life unbearable.
Recall that West Africa Weekly reported how policemen had invaded the Okolis’ house in Sangotedo in Lagos State, allegedly on orders of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. A team of policemen from Abuja, who claimed to be acting on the orders of the IGP, tried to re-arrest Okoli without providing a credible warrant signed by a competent court as mandated by law. He also accused the police of trying to forcefully arrest his wife despite a subsisting court order stopping them from doing so.
He said, “I just want to put this out to the public. This morning, the police invaded my house where I live in Lagos and insisted on forcefully arresting my wife without any court order and against the order of the Lagos State High Court.
“There was no arrest warrant from any courts. They invaded my house this morning and kept my family under house arrest. My children were supposed to start school today. They were not able to go to school. The cooking gas finished last night, and we were supposed to get another one this morning. But as I talk to you, we weren’t able to do that.
“They’ve cut off the light to my apartment. So my wife and children are there without lights, without cooking gas to be able to cook. My wife is pregnant, and I have little children. I don’t know what is happening.
“As I talk to you, there’s a court order from Lagos State High Court against arrest and harassment from the police. And they were duly served. The court process is ongoing, and we are cooperating with all of them”.
He mentioned that the Police and owner of Erisco Foods should be held responsible if any harm befalls his family. He also referenced that the case is in court and that the Police are flagrantly disregarding the rule of law instead of upholding it.
“Tomorrow, we have a case in the Federal High Court – the case filed by the same police, Nigerian police. And we are prepared to be there. But this early morning, the police decided to come to my house to arrest my wife unlawfully, without any court warrant. No warrant of arrest.
“And I want to state here that if anything happens to my wife and my children, and my unborn baby, that Eric Umeofia should be held responsible and the IG of Police. What is it that my wife has done that the police would lay siege to our house to the extent of not allowing them to have light, to the extent of not allowing us to be able to go out to get things that we need in the house? To stop my children from going to school?”
“What is the crime that the court cannot solve? Why would Nigerian police take the laws into their own hands because they felt they were dealing with the underprivileged or they were dealing with someone they could crush? We are all Nigerians, and I believe we should respect the law irrespective of how much money we have,” he added.
Going by Chidoka’s claims, it is obvious that the Nigerian Police and the management of Erisco Foods have decided to continuously abuse the fundamental human rights of this family. The entire story is a typical example of high-handedness, abuse of power, and all-round degradation of the Nigerian system, which allows such targeted harassment of the vulnerable.
https://x.com/inibeheeffiong/status/1744745365381726415?s=46
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