A software engineer has recounted his ordeal in the hands of the police in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Ray Okaah shared:
“As I left the police Station this night. I was confused where exactly to go.. I checked my pocket and I didn’t have enough to transport myself home.. I have been robbed and tortured by those who were supposed to defend me. Over here the police isn’t your friend broo.
It was like any other day, and started with me on my way home from my friend
@naijatechguy
place. I boarded a motorcycle and just before I got to my stop, some police van barricaded my motorcycle. Aloof of what was going on, I noticed my bike man turning his bike round…
turning his bike round to make a run.
Perplexed with what was happening, why is this bike man running, is he a criminal? The police threatened to shoot and fear gripped me and I joined in begging the bike man to pls stop. I don’t want to get shot for a reason I might never know.
Seconds later this armed men were beating my bike man, as I turned to leave, not to get caught up, just then I realized it has always been about me, and not the bike man. This armed men gripped me in the middle of the road, took my phone and forced me into their van. #EndSARS
I kept asking what my crime was, but they offered no response. There and then I started receiving beatings from 2 of these armed men. I was forced into the car, and handcuffed.
While trying to make sense of my current predicament, I was driven into a quiet area around bushes. I became scared. It seemed they were there to look for someone. In my mind I kept hoping I don’t get caught in the middle of a shootout. #EndSARS #stoprobbingus
We left that place, and on the way they picked up another unsuspecting fellow with his girlfriend, from the street. No reason too. I heard one saying should we stop this guy? And the other gave him the go-ahead. #EndSARS #stoprobbingus
Soon it was two of us at the open trunk of the police pick-up vehicle.
We were striped of our top clothes, beaten, handcuffed tightly together like criminals and thrown back in. This began the most painful part of this for me. I was paraded around topless, in handcuffs. #EndSARS
like a bloody criminal.
There van kept moving slowly and I could see passerby’s looking. To make things worse they drove around the streets, people looking at Possible Criminals handcuffed together in a police van. #EndSARS #stoprobbingus
Being paraded like a criminal and running into familiar faces only made the pain worse. I bet they thought we must have done something illegal. #EndSARS #stoprobbingus
Soon we got to the police station, where I met a lot of young men like me, sitting tightly in a confined space, no! I was the only one amongst them that had dreads, and there were about 13 of them.. I was made to join them, I was detained for hours. #EndSARS #stoprobbingus
for hours with no explanation whatsoever of my crime. They kept going through my phone.
While there I received several beatings. I was slapped, punched in the face severally, while standing, while lying down. And what was my crime? Merely Existing.
I had sat down with this guy I had watched also get picked for no reason, and others. It got dark and we were about to be transferred to some other place. “You can’t make a call yet until 2moro” – They said. They ended up extorting money from me.
they took my ATM card and forced me to give them the pin. They ended up taking even the money I had on me, my headphones, and a few other items. I left with my phone, my clothes, and my home key.
This is an experience I’ll very much never forget. And it’s happening everyday for a lot of other people whose only crime is being a young man / woman in Nigeria.
Their station, where I left, is at Choba, in a street directly opposite Chocolate lounge ( a popular lounge around here). They have given everyone a fake // false crime tag. They said they will transfer the others to another cell this night”.
