IBADAN, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – A Twitter user in Nigeria, Kayyus Taiwo, has narrated how he was harassed, beaten and unlawfully locked up for a night by Police Officers.
Taiwo took to Twitter on Wednesday, 20 October, as Nigerians marked the 2nd year anniversary of the massacre at Lekki tollgate, Lagos State.
He shared the ordeal on Twitter and also shared photos and videos to back up his tweets.
Taiwo tweeted: “On Wednesday, the 12th of October, 2022. I was harassed, beaten by the Nigerian Police Force and even unlawfully locked up and spent a night inside Prison. 💔🥺😭
“How it happened.
“I was sent by boss to help him submit an application at a Computer Center on my way back home from work.
“So, I went to a popular market in Ibadan to do it, I searched the market and found a place but the woman said she can’t do it, she now described another place for me inside the market.
“I got there and met the shop closed from the outside but the inner shop was never locked, there was a placard placed outside with caption “Wait for me, I will be back in a jiffy”.
“So, I had to wait then while waiting these police men came like 7-9 in numbers. Only about few in uniforms while other were in muftis, they bursted the market and some people ran, I didn’t run since I had nothing bad on me.
“While I was standing, they came back and met me standing, asked what was inside my bag, I showed them everything it was two pens, one exercise book, my I.D cards( Both Voter’s Card and Work I.D card) phone charger, a power bank and my oga’s money, One of them, maybe their boss just commanded that they should carry me, they just carried me inside their bus (a white painted unofficial bus).
“I entered and I was asking them series of questions m, “where are U taking me to, what did I do, what’s ur station name, I even phoned my boss, he asked me same questions, even requested to speak with them but they did not answer, they seized my phones, my boss kept calling.
“But they didn’t allow me pick up, for like 10mins we kept going, inside the bus, they stopped and went to see someone at one big complex, I was afraid if I hadn’t been kidnapped by them disguising to be police officers meanwhile only about 3 of them left inside the bus with me.
“I managed to move to the entrance and shouted for help that I had been kidnapped that people should help me, that was how all of them ran to the Bus and started hitting me to go back, I kept shouting and they were still hitting me with the weapons in their hands.
“I kept shouting like it was my only way of survival and they never stopped hitting me, I was overpowered and taken to the last seat at the back and they handcuffed my two hands and even threatened me, they left the spot due to the scene I created, bcos some were videoing us.
“We later met one other bus like their own with their officers inside and they handed me over to them where I found another guy that they have also tortured and they removed one handcuff from my own hands and use it to handcuff him as well, after some minutes they started picking more innocent people from the street, even along the road, they would just stop and those not in uniforms would get down first then the ones in uniform and they would arrest people, push them inside the buses.
“Later the two busses was later fully loaded in some minutes, they took us all to their station late around past 7pm, they handed us our bags before we entered the station, I took out my phone inside the bag and messaged my boss, while trying to reply my brother’s message back.
“One of their officers saw me typing, came to me, slapped me and collected my phone. They collected our statements and took us straight inside Cell for committing absolutely no offence, they asked me enter the cell but I refused and was begging them my brother/boss would come.
“The officer pushed me in, locked the gate, then the guys inside started punching me for refusing to enter in the first place, he was asking if they that were inside were animals, collected the money that was inside my pocket, despite some injuries i had sustained he was still punching me, I called for help from the officer, he came and he only had to tell them to take it easy on me instead that he cautioned them to stop beating me. Later dat night some were bailed out, I spent the night there wit the odours, the heat and the pains💔😥
“Later the following day around 12-1pm, I was bailed out(with money) by my brother, leaving only 4 others left out of about 9 of us that spent the night in their cell. Nigeria Is so mess.💔🥺 I’m even sad remembering everything that happened😣
“This happened just a week ago and I didn’t come to say it out here bcos I know I might not get the justice I want and even it would be of no importance bcos this won’t stop them from doing this again to anyone else and I’m not putting this out this time for clout chasing,
“It’s just to let you all know that police brutality is still going on and most of the things we protested against are still happening. So sad💔😪 Nigeria is really bad. Injustice everywhere💔😓
Those who are meant to protect us are the ones still hurting and tormenting us.
“When would these things stop? We seriously need to put end to these things. It’s so bad! 💔
“We are still hurt of 20/10/2020💔😭”