The former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olawale Ishola, refused to acknowledge, let alone respond to two Freedom of Information Requests (FoI) sent to him before he left office demanding to know why Madam Ifeoma Okoye, who tortured her 10-year-old domestic staff, along with her church and those who trafficked the child were yet to be arrested. JULIANA FRANCIS, who has been monitoring the case, speaks with human rights activists and lawyers about the worrisome, nonchalant behaviour of the former number one policeman in Lagos State to extant laws.
It has been over three months and still counting that this reporter, in two different Freedom Of Information Requests, dated November 18, 2024 and December 11, 2024 asked the former Lagos Commissioner of Police, Olawale Ishola, why Madam Ifeoma Okoye who brutalised her 10-year-old domestic servant, Kosarachi, was yet to be arrested. The reporter further demanded to know why members of Christ Holy Church International, where Okoye worshipped and which assisted in ferrying her out of Lagos State to evade answering to her offences, were also not arrested, alongside Kosarachi’s purported biological mother and maternal aunt, who trafficked her to Lagos State.
Ishola did not acknowledge receipt of both requests and failed to respond. By his actions and inaction, he clearly showed disdain for the law.
It will be recalled that Kosarachi, an underaged maid to one Okoye, resides in the Festac area of Lagos. Okoye used to inflict injuries on her 10-year-old domestic servant until she was found out and also deprived her of education.
Child Protection Groups in Lagos State repeatedly called for Okoye, but police failed to arrest her, and then she was smuggled out of Lagos State by members of Christ Holy Church International, where she worships. According to sources, Okoye fled to Rivers State from where she plans to relocate to a foreign country to join her relatives.
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Different Child Protection Groups in Lagos have been fighting to get justice for Kosarachi. Two families are also laying claim to the paternity of Kosarachi, one of the families trafficked her into domestic servitude, while the second family who is laying claim to her, insisted she was their missing daughter.
This paternity drama caused Child Protection Groups to urge Police to ensure DNA is carried out to know the paternity of the child, with some even promising to foot the bill, to avoid the child being handed over to her traffickers, which may lead to her being trafficked again. While the case was still ongoing, Kosarachi was taken to the Police Juvenile Welfare Centre, Alakara, Lagos State, from where she was later moved to a shelter by the Lagos State Government.
Since then, nothing has been heard about the child, the couples fighting over her paternity, Madam Okoye or the Christ Holy Church International. The Lagos State Police Command and Child Protection Groups have all gone as silent as the grave. Nobody has been arrested or held accountable for trafficking a minor to Lagos State, depriving her of education, making her work beyond her age and then for repeated torture.
Kosarachi has not received closure and her paternity is yet to be determined. The police, saddled with the responsibility of determining the course of issues surrounding Kosarachi, are investigating the case in a lacklustre manner. The attitude of the police investigating team is also a borrowed reflection of nonchalance seen in the Lagos CP towards the case. This reporter spoke with lawyers and human rights activists on the implication of personnel of Nigeria Police’s continual snubbing of FoI requests.
The Co-founder of Advocate for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network, Ebenezer Omajelile, said: “A Commissioner of Police ignoring FoI Request must be a joke! This must be a joke or why would any police officers ignore FOI requests? Well, probably the officers who do that may not have joined the Nigeria Police Force when the FOI was enacted. FOI across the globe is sacrosanct, above any Agency, be it Federal Government, state government agencies or MDAS. Anyone resisting the quest for FOI is risking imprisonment or fine after options have been applied.”
A legal practitioner with Sister’s With A Goal Initiative, Faith Obisike said: “When the police ignore Freedom Of Information Requests, there are several critical implications that arise. Such implications are a lack of transparency and accountability. We all know that FOI requests are essential for holding the police accountable, so ignoring them promotes secrecy, encourages impunity, and erodes public trust in law enforcement. Another implication is obstruction of justice and good governance. FOI laws empower citizens, journalists, and civil society organisations to access information necessary for exposing human rights abuses, corruption, and misconduct, so denial of access hinders democratic governance.
“Similarly, ignoring FoI requests encourages police brutality and misconduct. Now, when the police evade scrutiny, they may be emboldened to act arbitrarily without fear of repercussions. There are cases of extortion, unlawful detention, and extrajudicial killings. As a nation, I think we can address these challenges through judicial enforcement, where courts must strictly enforce compliance with FoI requests. Citizens and organisations should litigate law compliance to set legal precedents that detail further violations. Another way in which we as a nation can solve these challenges is by stronger oversight mechanisms.
“The National Assembly, Human Rights Commissions, and civil society organisations should exert legislative and administrative pressure on the police to comply with FOI requests. One way we can also handle these challenges is by public advocacy and awareness, continuous public engagement through media campaigns, protests, and petitions to increase awareness of FOI rights, and pressure authorities to act transparently. We can also solve these challenges by legislative reforms and sanctions.”
Obisike said that amending the FoI Act to impose strict penalties on public officials who refuse to comply will further catalyse compliance. She also noted that an independent monitoring body can be established, such as a Police Transparency Commission, with the power to audit police compliance with FOI requests, to improve accountability.
The Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, Okechukwu Nwanguma, also has something to say on the issue. His words: “The implications of the Nigeria Police ignoring Freedom Of Information Requests is that it shows lack of transparency and accountability of the police. Transparency and accountability are crucial for public trust in law enforcement. The second implication is that ignoring Freedom Of Information Requests can hinder investigations into misconduct or corruption. This can perpetuate a culture of impunity within the Nigeria Police Force. Citizens may become increasingly distrustful of the police and government institutions which can lead to tensions and reduce cooperation with law enforcement efforts.
“It also limits the ability of civil society organisations, the media, and others to advocate for human rights, monitor police activities, and hold authorities accountable. It complicates the ability of individuals and organisations to seek legal redress when their rights are violated due to a lack of accessible information. I think the way to address these challenges will include strengthening the FOI Act implementation. There must be a way to ensure strict adherence to the existing Freedom of Information Act by holding public officials accountable for compliance.
“Training and resources should be provided to help them understand their responsibilities. And I do know that some organisations like Media Rights Agenda and others have been doing a lot of training on this. Then there is the need to strengthen independent bodies and enhance the role of existing independent bodies to monitor responses to FOI requests and enforce compliance. I don’t know whether there is an oversight mechanism that will monitor to ensure that responses to FOI requests are granted when requested. In other words, to enforce compliance.
“I think there is a need to create wider awareness among citizens about their rights under the Freedom of Information Act and the processes involved in making requests. This empowerment can lead to greater public engagement. We need to encourage affected individuals and organisations to pursue legal action against the police or other bodies that fail to comply with FOI requests which could set precedence for accountability.
“There is a seven-day window given for any institution to respond to FOI, after which the person making the request can go to court. There have been many cases where the courts have compelled or mandated agencies or governments to provide requested information.
“Civil society advocacy needs to be strengthened. Strengthening the role of civil society in advocating for transparency, pressuring the government to implement reforms, and supporting victims of information denial. There is a need to advocate for amendments to the Freedom of Information Act or related policies to close loopholes and provide clearer pathways for compliance and enforcement.
“There is a need to engage with the police leadership, foster dialogue between civil society, legal experts, the media, and police leadership to emphasise the importance of transparency and discuss the benefits of responding to FOI requests. These few strategies that have been highlighted, implementing them can address the challenges surrounding the disregard for FOI requests and promote a culture of transparency and accountability within the Nigeria Police.”
A lawyer, Douglas Ogbankwa, who is also a member of the Edo State Civil Society Organisation, said police ignoring the FoI requests means a breach of the Freedom of Information Act, 2015 and consequently the sender or writer has to resort to a course of action in court to get the court to issue an order of mandamus for the Police to issue the information required. Douglas also pointed out that the writer could also ask for damages in court for breach.
Lawyer Aigg Giwa-Amu, Attorney at law at Stephen and Solomon Foundation, said: “Any act of the police or any other government body which is in breach of the law or statutory provisions automatically will bring anarchy. The Freedom Of Information Law ought to be obeyed by the police and by every person to whom it concerns the government. Where there is a failure to obey, a party is entitled to apply to the court for an order that the police give him necessary information.
“Because it is often the government that stands to protect the release of these documents or information. It becomes difficult unless you get a court order to do so. So the nation, the citizens can only apply to the court for an order compelling the government, particularly the police, to release the information required.”
Longe of Media Rights Agenda said: “The Nigeria Police’s refusal to comply with Freedom of Information (FOI) requests does not bode well as it undermines transparency, accountability, and public trust in law enforcement and thus has several implications. As a law enforcement agency, ignoring FOI requests makes it difficult for Nigerians including ordinary citizens, civil society groups, and the media to monitor police activities or scrutinise misconduct. This lack of oversight can exacerbate corruption, human rights abuses, and other misdeeds to continue unchecked.
“FOI laws are meant to empower citizens by ensuring access to information in government custody. Ignoring these requests weakens the citizens’ ability to hold police – and by extension, government institutions – accountable, thereby eroding democratic norms, especially the rule of law which is a major pillar of democracy. Citizens lose trust in the agency and they may perceive the police as unaccountable, thereby hindering community-police collaboration. Nigerians need a multi-pronged approach and collaboration to address the challenge. The first solution is filing legal actions to challenge the refusal of access to information.
“Collaboration between civil society groups and the media to escalate the issue of non-compliance of the Police to FOI requests will put the agency in a bad light which they would not like and would be forced to change. They can also name and shame the Nigeria Police and do sustained investigative features on their non-compliance with the FOI Act. Advocacy efforts calling on lawmakers to strengthen the FOI framework by, for example, establishing an independent Federal Information Commissioner or ombudsman that would have the authority to investigate complaints about non-compliance and enforce sanctions can also help. Most nations establish an independent ombudsman which has oversight responsibility for the implementation of the FOI Act.”
The Inspector-General Of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at a workshop on November 11, 2024, held in Jabi, Abuja, on: “Enhancing Professionalism And Standardisation In Criminal Investigation Held For All Heads Of Police Investigating/Intelligence Units,” stressed: “The Nigeria Police Force’s adherence to global standards, particularly the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, is a testament to our unwavering commitment to safeguarding the rights and well-being of children. This alignment underscores our dedication to implementing child-friendly policing practices that are supportive, non-traumatic, and rights-respecting. Our approach is designed to ensure that our interactions with children and young people uphold their dignity and rights while fostering a nurturing and protective environment.
“By embracing international standards, we aim to enhance the trust and confidence between the community and law enforcement. This is crucial in situations involving young individuals, where how law enforcement officers engage can have lasting impacts on their perceptions of safety and justice. Child-friendly policing not only protects children but also educates and empowers them, emphasising their rights and the responsibilities of society to uphold them.
“Furthermore, adopting such practices positions our officers not merely as enforcers of the law but as advocates and protectors of every citizen’s welfare, particularly the young. This approach encourages a more compassionate and understanding interaction between police and community, which is essential for building a cooperative relationship that benefits all members of society.
“Overall, our commitment to upholding international child rights standards is integral to building a more inclusive and protective community policing framework. This framework not only supports the development of healthy relationships between law enforcement and community members but also ensures that the rights of the most vulnerable are consistently respected and protected.”
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