SaharaReporters gathered that no fewer than six of the protesters were assaulted, harassed and brutalised by the security operatives.
Operatives of the Nigerian Army and Department of Security Services (DSS) on Monday attacked peaceful #RevolutionNow protesters in Osun State.
SaharaReporters gathered that no fewer than six of the protesters were assaulted, harassed and brutalised by the security operatives.
One of the protesters, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were attacked around Ayetoro street, Osogbo while waiting for their colleagues to join them.
He said, “We were converging on Ayetoro, Osogbo for the liberty walk. Six of us were there and we were awaiting other people that would be joining us. But while we were talking, 12 Hilux vans (four for the DSS and eight for the Nigerian Army) arrived.
“Each vehicle had six persons so there were 48 of them. Then they started moving towards our direction. We were not afraid of them because we thought they were there to protect us. Then the next thing I heard were, ‘who are these people?’ ‘Officer, let's beat them mercilessly’. It seemed like a movie. You needed to see how they started hitting us with a thick plank of wood. They hit us on our heads, bodies and legs.
“I really suffered. I was just shivering and crying. My neck and hands had bruises. My mind even failed to register what was happening at some point.”
Another protester told SaharaReporters that they were beaten for about 20 minutes and handed over to officers from Dugbe Police Station in Osogbo.
“Some of the comrades were beaten with a thick piece of wood until our heads started bleeding. If you did not answer their questions quickly, they would beat the hell out of you. As they were asking me questions, my mind failed me. I didn't know anything again. I forgot where I came from, I forgot my age and I forgot my name and we dared not to run away,” he said.
“We were beaten for 15 to 20 minutes; passersby were looking at us. They seemed to be curious to know what we did. The operatives even challenged anybody that held a phone whether they were far from us or not, so that nobody would record what they were doing.
“Later, they ordered us to get into the Hilux vehicle. They took us to an unknown destination. As we were going, we thought they were taking us to Army barracks in Ede but they took Estate Road back to Okefia. They eventually took us to Dugbe Police Station in Osogbo.
“You needed to see those policemen too; it was as if they were waiting for us. They spat on us as if we were criminals and treated us like murderers. They even wanted to handcuff us. They ordered us to take off our clothes. The police also transported us to the State Criminal and Intelligence Department for proper documentation.”