Police Place Chioma Okoli On Watchlist Over Erisco Product Review

Mrs. Okoli Chioma Egodi has been added to the watchlist by a letter from Nigeria’s 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 for a Facebook product review she wrote about the company.

Police allegedly broke into Okoli’s Lagos State home in January on Egbetokun’s orders, according to a report from DDM News, with the intention of apprehending her.

According to DDM, an Abuja police squad purporting to be operating under the Inspector General of Police’s orders sought to re-arrest Okoli without first obtaining a court order granting them permission to do so.

Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police requested in a letter to the Immigration Controller General, Kemi Nandap, that Mrs. Okoli be placed on a watchlist and prevented from leaving the country, despite protests from well-meaning Nigerians and civil society organizations, such as the international human rights organization Amnesty International, demanding an immediate end to the harassment and intimidation of Mrs. Okoli.

The reference number for the letter that DDM News was able to view is OB:3380/IGP.SEC/MU/T.6/ABJ/VOL.3/111. Titled “Watch Listing of Mrs. Okoli Chioma Egodi; age 37 years old,” the letter is dated April 2, 2024.

The police chief requested the NIS to arrest her if found and notify the IGP Monitoring Unit in a letter that was exclusively received from a highly placed source in the IGP Monitoring Unit in Abuja and signed by A.A. Elleman DCP, Head, IGP Monitoring Unit of Force Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force.

It stated that a case including “criminal conspiracy, de-marketing, blackmail, attempted extortion, and cyberbullying” is being looked into regarding Okoli.

The letter contains the following section: “This office is looking into a case of criminal conspiracy, de marketing, blackmail, attempted extortion, and cyber bullying against the person listed above, whose photos are attached. It has become necessary to request your agency’s cooperation in this investigation.

“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.”

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