SaharaReporters has obtained some disturbing videos and pictures showing evidence of human rights violations and brutality committed by the Nigerian police against peaceful protesters.
Some protesters who took to the streets of Abuja to demonstrate against incessant killings, abductions and other crimes in Northern Nigeria narrated in the videos how they were assaulted and brutalised by policemen from the Federal Capital Territory Command.
The protesters had on Wednesday converged on the Nigerian Labour House popularly known as Ayuba Wabba House, Central Area, demanding an end to the insecurity in the North.
WATCH: The Energetic Moment Fearless #NorthIsBleeding Protesters In Abuja Began Chanting âBuhari Is A Terrorist, Banditâ pic.twitter.com/HRTp0mWuIX
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) December 15, 2021
Armed with placards bearing arms with various inscriptions like “Buhari is a weak Army General”; “Northern region is bleeding”, “Buhari is sleeping; “How many have to die in the north before Buhari is asked to resign?”, among others, the protesters marched under the bridge in Garki Area 1 where some policemen emerged and arrested them.
WATCH: @PoliceNG Coordinate Attack On #NorthIsBleeding Protesters In Abuja
FULL VIDEO: https://t.co/pkdrXPlZDl pic.twitter.com/KbVPxdvhNV
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) December 15, 2021
Two journalists from Roots TV, Tosin Busayo (cameraman) and Precious Uzoanya (reporter) were among those arrested.
However, the two journalists were later released after spending two hours at the FCT Police Command where they were subjected to interrogation and forced to preview their video clips.
SaharaReporters learnt that five of the illegally arrested protesters are still in police detention and have been subjected to the worst form of brutality by police personnel.
Police Brutalise Arrested #NorthIsBleeding Protesters, Journalists At Abuja Command Headquarters | Sahara Reporters https://t.co/GCbHnPxNzu pic.twitter.com/w3rPbWqelm
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) December 15, 2021
On Thursday, two Magistrates refused to take their case but videos of the illegally arrested protesters taken in court expose the animalistic tendencies of Nigerian police personnel.
One of the videos shows the illegally arrested sitting on the ground, looking battered and badly bruised. One of the victims displayed black eyes and facial bruises.
WATCH: How @PoliceNG Worked With Hired Thugs To Torture Us, Judge Ran AwayâAbuja #NorthIsBleeding Protesters Speak From Inside Cell With No Medical Attention After Being Brutalised
FULL VIDEO: https://t.co/wN6kFPoDva pic.twitter.com/63aIUL6KEd
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) December 16, 2021
In another disturbing video showing the protesters in a dingy cell, one of them said, “We were arrested yesterday at the protest ground, we were detained and brutalised.
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“I was injured and beaten by a police officer, look at my eye. From there, they took us to Abattoir where they connived with those criminals to torture us. So after that, they carried us to court at Wuse Zone 6 where the judge ran away.
“Now they brought us to Wuse 2 where they currently put us in the cell. As you can see, all of us are in the cell. They have abandoned us, they locked us inside the cell.”
“But still, the struggle continues, we will never give up,” some of them echoed before they all started singing.
“Revolution, revolution, we want to do something before we go, revolution,” they sang and then chorused “Revolution now”.
