Juliana Francis
Nigerians have taken to their social media handles to complain about the manner in which policemen from F Division, Kwara State Police Command, beat up an international student from Liberia into a state of stupor and then fearing he was dead, dumped him at the front of his hotel in the state.
The victim, Theophilus Blamoh, is studying Performing Art at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State.
Blamoh told journalists that the police accosted him and his friends, ordered them to enter their van, forcibly collected their phones and browsed through the phones, looking for incriminating evidence. One of the policemen would later punch Blamoh in the face for no reason.
A Twitter user, THE IKÚPOLÁTÌ GIDEON@instruvoice_who first alerted Nigerians via his handle about the police brutalising the student on the 7th of September 2022, tweeted: “Ilorin F Division Policemen beat my friend to a state of being unconscious yesterday night. Last night about 4 to 5 Hilux raided Oke Odo. My friends, 3 of them went to buy pepper at the total junction, they were stopped by the policemen and searched. They found nothing on them and then the policemen asked, ‘why are you not doing yahoo?’ Without further ado, they were ushered into their van. They were taken to F Division precisely and beaten up until one of them fainted and he was taken back to the front of his hostel and dumped unconscious! The hostel caretaker took notice and rushed him to the hospital…others are there…”
The action of the policemen had naturally vexed many Nigerians and some had taken to their Twitter handles to express their reservations and displeasures.
One of them, Jojo sells food@Josephine__N said: “They’ve been raiding since the weekend. A dispatch that was coming to me said the same, and after a few minutes on Saturday, they came to raid my hostel. They even banged on my door and all that but I guess because I’m female they just looked and passed. They harassed the males.”
Richway fitness@richwaynoni1on his part, noted: “They’ve been doing this stuff for long and the government has done nothing even after we did space and invited their boss and he was telling us nonsense that we should not allow anybody searches our phone because it’s not allowed but he can’t tell his fellow police officer to stop.”
Eye Of The Caner@khurlaplus believes that the solution to check human rights violations in the hands of security agents was for Nigerians to vote for the right candidate.
He stated: “Don’t vote for people who promise change but only make things worse for their own people. Don’t vote for leaders who don’t care when their agents maim and kill Nigerian youth. Don’t vote for old men who care nothing for young lives. They will never be aware of what you suffer.”
Ultra M@kolarh has something to say about the situation, “A few months ago they did the same thing only if you can’t see how they harassed some guys getting back from work. Found nothing incriminating but still bundled them like animals. Pathetic! It’s getting worse day by day in Ilorin.”
Another Twitter user, Ope™@opedotcom directed his question to the police, saying: “I’m sure someone must have complained this to you. This is how they do in Ilorin. I have seen them stop a guy on Okada and another inside a tricycle and drove them away after checking their phones. We aren’t safe from bandits, we aren’t safe from Police.”
mc_akinola@mc_akinola, chirps in: “Men of the Nigeria Police Force steadily behaving in worse manners than criminals. Only a criminal will treat someone you are meant to protect in a terrible manner like this.”
Bliss@BlissGod2 also has something to say about the matter, “Se the latest happening. F Division Ilorin Kwara State. Your men beat a young to unconsciousness and dumped him at the hostel. Can these criminals in uniform ever stop the evil act they commit? Nigerian youths are tired of this. The entire country is losing hope in you.”
808 Flacko@808_flacko, said the policemen were evil. His words: “They are evil. I remembered how I was arrested, humiliated and locked up in a cell during COVID days by one Mr Friday. They demanded for N200,000 for bail the next day, But I later sorted myself out with N70,000. The most hilarious thing about the scenario is that they have their own POS.”
Comrade Ashamu Eruobodo@CEruobodo, observed thus: “They’ve been doing random raiding and extorting people for a few months now. I was a victim and I promised myself I will never set my foot in Ilorin again. You see that DPO of F division, Abdul or something, he’s one of the few officers spoiling the force.”
