The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has decried prolonged detention of a woman, Gloria Okolie, linked with Eastern Security Network/ Independent People of Biafra (ESN/IPOB) by law enforcement agencies.

It said illegally detaining citizens beyond the constitutionally stipulated “reasonable” time was unfair.

NHRC said such practice amounts to a gross violation of human rights and must be accounted for, to act as a deterrent to others.

The Executive Secretary of the commission, Tony Ojukwu, spoke in Abuja while reacting to the alleged illegal detention of Gloria by the police for over 67 days.

The police arrested the 21-year-old on June 17 on the allegation that she had a relationship with some members of the ESN, an arm of IPOB.

Ojukwu said such unprofessional conduct is unacceptable in the 21st century policing, and demanded that the perpetrators of such heinous crime must be brought to justice.

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The NHRC boss said he was disturbed upon learning that while being detained, the girl was used as a slave by the officers.

While calling for her immediate release, Ojukwu frowned at the report that Miss Okolie was abused, made to wash clothes, sent on errands to buy ‘stuffs’ for police officers and tortured by some of the officers in charge of her detention.

“The commission is, therefore, using this medium to demand the immediate and unconstitutional release of the detainee or in the alternative charge her to a court of competent jurisdiction so that she will enjoy the right to fair hearing and the opportunity to defend the allegation against her, if any.

“We will not hesitate to condemn such unprofessional conduct, which undoubtedly resulted in further violation of the rights of the woman in question because her rights to freedom of movement and liberty, among others, have been allegedly violated with impunity by the personnel charged with the responsibility of protecting the lives and property of citizens.

“On our part as a national institution saddled with the responsibility of promotion, protection and enforcement of rights of citizens and foreigners resident in Nigeria, we have not missed any available opportunity to educate and train police personnel and indeed other law enforcement agents on human rights issues, the NHRC Act (as amended) as well as other national, regional and international human rights instruments to which Nigeria is a signatory,” he said.