Cameroonian activist alleges torture, illegal detention by Nigerian police

• We’ve identified officers involved; we’re on the case, says PRO

A human rights activist from Southern Cameroon, Tse Anye Kevin, has accused officers from the Nigeria Police Force Zone 2 Command Headquarters in Onikan, Lagos, of subjecting him to torture and illegal detention.

Kevin, who was arrested on allegations of kidnapping, claims he endured severe physical abuse during his ordeal, which began in the early hours of October 2, 2024, when armed officers stormed his home without a warrant.

According to Kevin, five officers forced their way into his residence at approximately 6:00 a.m., assaulting him and demanding information about his alleged gang members and weapons. “They shouted questions like, ‘Where is your gun? Where are you hiding the weapons? Where are the other gang members?’ I was shocked and kept telling them I had no weapons, no gang, and that I wasn’t a kidnapper,” Kevin recounted.

Despite his protests, the officers allegedly threatened him with further violence. One officer reportedly warned Kevin that if he didn’t confess, he would be taken to a torture chamber and subjected to horrific abuse.

Later that evening, Kevin was transferred to an overcrowded cell, where he was held with approximately 43 other inmates in a space of just four square metres. He described being unable to sleep and enduring further beatings, resulting in head pain, body aches, and eye distress, for which he is now seeking medical attention.

“Due to the severe physical assault, I struggled to maintain clear thoughts and cannot recall everything I said during the ordeal,” Kevin stated. He described how the officers seized his laptop, documents, and phones before taking him to the Zone 2 headquarters.

“I went through hell in the hands of the police,” Kevin said. “I was in the hospital yesterday and I’m on medication because of my eyes and my head. I wonder how many innocent people are going through the same ordeal or have suffered the consequences of the actions meted out on me.”

Kevin condemned the alleged torture and called for policies protecting human rights. “The torture I received is not what human beings deserve,” he said. “The act is disgusting and I condemn it in the strongest terms. To compel someone to confess to an offence he did not commit, being tortured and threatened, is the height of the matter.”

When asked about potential legal action, Kevin said, “There are natural laws to every action people take. Either you experience it in your lifetime or generations will suffer for it. That is my action.”

The Guardian contacted the Public Relations Officer of Zone 2 Command Headquarters, Ayuba Tunni Umma, who confirmed that Kevin was in their custody and that the officers involved had been identified. “We are on the case,” Umma stated.