Newsie Events:-
In Lagos State and Abuja, #RevolutionNow protesters have accused security operatives of assaulting and abusing their human rights during their protest march.
A case insight was that of a protester whose name cannot be ascertained immediately said security operatives shaved off his hair with a knife and broken bottle during the #RevolutionNow protest.
According to The PUNCH, the incident happened around Ikeja Along, Lagos, on Wednesday.
Another protester, identified as Damilare Adenola, also complained that he was flogged with an iron rod and chain in Abuja.
According to them, the incident happened when the security operatives came to disperse protesters agitating for good governance.
As seen In a video that surfaced online, a protester who was putting on a brownish dreadlock was the victim as blood was coming out of his head.
He told Sahara Reporters that the officers asked him “to prostrate on the floor before one of them pulled out a knife while another used a broken bottle to cut off the dreadlocks” and shave his hair.
The victim lamented that the security operatives harassed him for wearing “brown hair’ despite not being a female.
Narrating his experience, Adenola explained that he was chained and kicked to the ground “for no reason”.
“I was beaten by more than four soldiers and policemen. They slapped me several times and kicked me with boots. They also collected my phone and did not return it to me.
“It is unfortunate that this government does not accommodate civic space. There is no freedom of speech in Nigeria again.” he said.
#RevolutionNow protesters were arrested by operatives of the State Security Service, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigerian Army in different parts of the country where the demonstrations held on Wednesday.
Among them are journalist and activist, Agba Jalingo; a student leader at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Dunnex Samuel; and Oguntola Sunday.
Reacting, the Movement for a Socialist Alternative condemned the security operatives for maltreating the protesters.
They also demanded the release of the arrested protesters.
This was contained in a press statement by the spokesperson for the movement, Dagga Tolar, titled ‘Free Dunnex Samuel and other activists arrested for converging for peaceful protests’.
The movement described the arrest as “an act of state terror, pure and simple, that these protesters were arrested for exercising their lawful rights to speak out loudly against the oppressive conditions obtainable across the country.
“We demand their immediate and unconditional release. We condemn this tradition of using the DSS to repress every lawful opposition to the oppressive regime of Muhamadu Buhari.
“Nigerians cannot have it, as the regime is suggesting, that they are a conquered people in their own country, who cannot express their dissatisfaction, no matter how peaceful, against the daily hardship and oppression they suffer in the hands of the capitalist hordes Buhari is representing.”
Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, promised to get back after getting “briefs across the state” when reached out for comment on the alleged police attack by ThePunch correspondent.