An eyewitness who spoke on condition of anonymity said the teenagers had stepped out briefly from their tutorial centre to buy items from a nearby roadside shop commonly known as an “aboki,” which usually operates late into the night.
Several teenagers were allegedly brutalised by police officers in the Yaba area of Lagos State after they were accosted while returning to their tutorial centre in the early hours of Thursday, sparking outrage on social media and renewed calls for police accountability.
An eyewitness who spoke on condition of anonymity said the teenagers had stepped out briefly from their tutorial centre to buy items from a nearby roadside shop commonly known as an “aboki,” which usually operates late into the night.
“These teenagers were attending a tutorial down the street. There’s an aboki nearby who closes late, usually around 1:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. The boys stepped out briefly to get something and return to the tutorial. They didn’t have their phones on them or anything suspicious,” the eyewitness said.
According to the witness, police officers, later identified as operatives from Alade Police Station in Shomolu, Yaba, suddenly confronted the teenagers and attempted to force them into a patrol vehicle.
“Suddenly, police officers began harassing them for no reason and tried to forcefully take them to the station. These officers have been patrolling the area for about three days now, acting as though they’re trying to replace someone already in jail,” the eyewitness added.
The witness alleged that the officers repeatedly beat the teenagers, sprayed them with pepper spray and even urinated on them.
“They kept beating the boys until they nearly passed out. They used pepper spray on them and even urinated on them. If not for one of the boys who stood his ground and the fact that residents began recording videos, the situation could have been worse,” the eyewitness said.
A video clip of the incident shared on X (formerly Twitter) by user @General_Somto shows distressed teenagers being assaulted by uniformed officers while pleading for mercy.
https://x.com/i/status/
In the video, one of the victims can be heard telling the officers: “I’m trekking to my tutorial centre.” He repeatedly explained that the tutorial centre was close by and asked the officers to follow him there if they doubted his story.
“I said I am trekking to my tutorial centre down there. If you are doubting, follow us to the tutorial centre to find out whether I am lying or not,” the teenager said.
Despite his explanation, the officers continued slapping and hitting the teenagers. One officer was heard shouting, “Enter the vehicle. Enter!”
Another victim pleaded: “The centre is down here. Please don’t do this to us. This is New Year. Why will you treat us like animals? We are fellow Nigerians and we haven’t committed any offence.”
Seconds later, the video captures what appears to be a renewed assault, with the teenagers screaming in pain and crying for help.
“Please sir, look how your colleagues are urinating on us. Please sir,” one of the boys cried, as officers continued to beat them.
In another part of the footage, one of the teenagers explains their situation to bystanders.
“We are students of the tutorial centre down here. We came out to buy something here but we realised that the mallam has closed. My friends and I were going back to the tutorial when these policemen seized us and don’t want to leave us,” he said.
He added: “We told them let us go and see our tutorial centre so they will know we are not lying. They are just harassing us, assaulting us for no reason. They want to put us inside their van that has no number. We can’t go with them. Please residents, come and make a video. They are making their own video so that they will label us criminals and probably disappear us.”
The visibly shaken teenager also said he was a minor.
“You were punching me in my nose, dragging me. I am not up to 18 years old. Will you do this to your own children?” he asked.
Residents who witnessed the incident reportedly confronted the officers and questioned the legality of their actions, while some recorded the scene on their phones.
According to eyewitnesses, the officers’ commander was present at the scene and attempted to justify the arrest when challenged by residents.
The incident has triggered widespread condemnation online, with many Nigerians demanding that the Lagos State Police Command identify and discipline the officers involved.
Human rights advocates are calling for an independent investigation, stressing that no citizen, especially minors, should be subjected to torture, degrading treatment or unlawful arrest.
“This is a clear case of abuse of power,” a rights activist said. “The police are meant to protect citizens, not terrorise young people who are simply trying to pursue their education.”