A reader says he and five of his friends were wrongfully
detained by the Nigerian Police Force simply for discussing and
analysing Nigeria's political situation at their neighbourhood bar.
Sounds strange to me but read his story below and share your opinion in
the comment section...
It was around 4pm on Friday afternoon. A
group of us – six young graduates, some of whom have been unemployed for years
thanks to a broken system – sat nursing our choice of beverages at our
neighbourhood bar Onishaga International Hotel in Akesan, as we fervently debated
our latest political quandary: the celebration of Nigeria’s centenary in the
face of terrorist attacks in Northern Nigeria. As was our tradition, we argued
the merits and pitfalls of our Government until we reached a consensus.
On this particular afternoon, unbeknownst
to us, a group of undercover policemen had infiltrated the hotel bar. They listened
attentively to our heated debate, then, without warning or reason, arrested us
at gunpoint. We were led, guns to our heads, our hands raised like wanted criminals,
subjected to humiliation and ridicule in front of our peers into the unmarked police
vehicle. We were powerless against these police officers. Our protests fell on
deaf ears. We had no choice but to fall in line.
