The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has condemned the alleged arrest, torture and inhuman treatment of a peaceful protester, Mr Hassan Taiwo, popularly known as Soweto, by officers of the Lagos State Police Command, calling for an independent investigation by the Police Service Commission (PSC).
In a statement issued on Thursday, RULAAC’s Executive Director, Mr Okechukwu Nwanguma, expressed grave concern over allegations regarding Mr Soweto’s arrest following a peaceful anti-demolition protest held in Lagos on January 28, 2026.
According to Nwanguma, the account authorised by Mr Soweto and conveyed through his representatives alleged that the activist was “forcibly abducted, assaulted, blindfolded, restrained, denied access to legal counsel and family, and subjected to degrading and inhuman treatment while in police custody.”
RULAAC described as “particularly troubling” the allegation that the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, personally participated in or directed the alleged acts.
“Photographs currently in the public domain showing injuries allegedly sustained by Mr Soweto raise serious questions about excessive use of force, torture and abuse of authority,” Nwanguma said.
He noted that if the allegations are established, they would amount to grave violations of Nigeria’s legal and human rights framework, including the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Nigeria Police Act, 2020, and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
“The Constitution guarantees the dignity of the human person, personal liberty and fair hearing. The Police Act mandates professionalism and respect for human rights, while the ACJA expressly prohibits torture, coercion and denial of access to legal counsel,” he stated.
RULAAC also said the alleged actions would place Nigeria in breach of its international obligations under treaties such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the United Nations Convention Against Torture.
Emphasising that peaceful protest is a constitutional right, Nwanguma warned against what he described as a growing trend of suppressing civic engagement.
“Peaceful protest is not a crime. The use of force to suppress constitutionally guaranteed rights to expression and peaceful assembly represents a dangerous slide toward the criminalisation of civic participation and the shrinking of democratic space,” he said.
The organisation further expressed concern over claims that Mr Soweto was denied access to his lawyers and that his whereabouts were concealed from civil society actors searching for him.
“Such conduct is wholly inconsistent with lawful arrest and detention procedures,” Nwanguma added.
In view of the seriousness of the allegations and the seniority of the officer implicated, RULAAC called on the Police Service Commission to immediately step in.
Specifically, the group urged the PSC to institute “an independent, impartial and transparent investigation” into the allegations against the Lagos State Commissioner of Police and other officers involved.
RULAAC also called for the examination of “medical reports, photographs of injuries, custody records and CCTV footage where available,” and demanded appropriate disciplinary action if the allegations are substantiated.
The organisation further urged the PSC to “reaffirm clear directives to all police commands on the absolute prohibition of torture, denial of legal access and repression of peaceful protest.”
Nwanguma recalled that similar allegations of police brutality had been raised in the past in connection with peaceful protests in Lagos, stressing the need for stronger institutional accountability.
“Public confidence in policing cannot be sustained through denial or intimidation. It is sustained only through truth, accountability and adherence to the rule of law,” he said.
RULAAC said it would continue to monitor developments closely and reaffirmed its solidarity with citizens lawfully exercising their rights to peaceful assembly and expression.
