Amnesty International has called for an immediate stop to the harassment and intimidation of Chioma Okoli by the Nigeria Police Force and Erisco Foods Limited in response to a product review she posted on Facebook.
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom
Amnesty International criticized the police harassment of Okoli on its X account, noting that despite supposed police reforms in Nigeria, unjust arrests continue due to impunity. The organization demanded that authorities stop using the Cyber Crimes Act to infringe on Okoli’s rights.
According to Amnesty, Chioma has faced continual harassment and intimidation since September 2023 due to a social media review she posted about tomato paste.
it was reported that some Nigerians had posted on their X handle threatened to boycott all Erisco Foods products for allegedly bullying and intimidating Okoli, a female customer who was arrested for giving the tomato product of the company a negative review.
In January, it was reported that police officers, under the supposed direction of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, went to Okoli’s home in Lagos State.
The officers, who said they were from Abuja, attempted to arrest Okoli again without presenting a court order for their actions.
Additionally, in January, Inibehe Effiong, a human rights lawyer representing Okoli, revealed that Nigerians had donated N1.9 million to cover legal expenses for Okoli.
However, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Force Public Relations Officer, stated last week that the police remain dedicated to adhering to the rule of law in the Erisco Tomato case.
Adejobi emphasized the importance of warning the public against disseminating false information and trying to manipulate public emotions.
He expressed serious concern over the latest events in the case, especially the use of crowdfunding to affect legal outcomes, stating that these actions jeopardize the integrity of the judicial system and compromise the ideals of fairness and accountability, posing a significant threat to the rule of law.
