By Francesca Hangeior
Mrs. Okoli Chioma Egodi, a Nigerian who evaluated a product from Erisco, has been added to a watchlist.
According to reports, Okoli was placed on a watchlist via a letter sent by Nigerian Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun to the Controller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service.
The Nigeria Police Force and Erisco Foods Limited are suing Chioma Okoli over a Facebook product review she wrote about the firm.
In January, SaharaReporters revealed that police officers had broken into Okoli’s Lagos State home on the purported instructions of Egbetokun with the intention of apprehending her.
According to the publication, the Abuja police squad, claiming to be carrying out the Inspector General of Police’s directives, went to re-arrest Okoli without serving any court order authorising them to do so.
Meanwhile, despite outcry from well-meaning Nigerians, civil society organisations including the global human rights body, Amnesty International, demanding an immediate end to the harassment and intimidation of Mrs Okoli, the Inspector General of Police, in a letter to the Immigration Controller General, Kemi Nandap, requested that she should be placed on watchlist and denied exit out of the country.
The letter has the reference number OB:3380/IGP.SEC/MU/T.6/ABJ/VOL.3/111. The letter dated April 2, 2024 is titled: “Watch Listing of Mrs. Okoli Chioma Egodi; age 37 years old,”
In the letter exclusively obtained from a highly placed source in the IGP Monitoring Unit in Abuja signed by A.A. Elleman DCP, Head, IGP Monitoring Unit of Force Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force, the police boss urged the NIS to arrest her if seen and inform the IGP Monitoring Unit.
It noted that Okoli is being investigated for a case of “criminal conspiracy, de-marketing, blackmail, attempted extortion, and cyberbullying”.
Part of the letter reads: “This office is investigating a Case of Criminal Conspiracy, De Marketing, Blackmail, attempted Extortion, and Cyber Bullying reported to the Inspector-General of Police against the above-mentioned person whose photographs are attached herewith and the need to request for your agency’s cooperation has become imperative.
“In view of this, you are kindly requested to watch list and deny her exit out of the Country, and if seen arrest and inform the IGP Monitoring Unit, Force Headquarters, Abuja through phone numbers 07036799008 or 07034779065 or the nearest Police Station.
“While anticipating your usual cooperation, kindly accept the assurances and esteem regards of the Inspector-General of Police, please.”