A coalition of women’s rights organizations, Womanifesto, has called for the immediate release of Chioma Okoli, a woman who has been detained since September 2023 for her alleged defamation against Erisco Foods Limited.
In a statement signed by over 150 organizations, including Women Advocates and Research Documentation Centre (WARDC), Purple Woman Foundation, and ActionAid Nigeria, the group condemned the continued detention of Okoli, which has resulted in the loss of her pregnancy and livelihood.
The group also criticized Erisco for prioritizing profits over the health and wellbeing of Nigerians, and called on the government to investigate the company’s products and labels.
