Three police officers were captured in video footage assaulting a defenceless persons with disability (PWD) protester at the Bauchi State Government House when protesters converged on Thursday.
The footage, shared by an X user @FS_Yusuf recorded during the #EndBadGovernance protest on Thursday in Bauchi, shows the officers dragging the helpless man in his wheelchair on the road.
The protester, whose name WikkiTimes cannot ascertain, joined millions of other Nigerians in a nationwide demonstration against the escalating hunger and economic hardship plaguing the country.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic and heartbreaking. “We were staging a peaceful protest,” said one protester who was present during the incident. “We did nothing against them (the police), but look at how they are assaulting us.”
The 16-second footage, which has gone viral on social media, shows the armless man lying on the ground, unable to defend himself, as officers repeatedly pull and drag him onto the road.
Bauchi Govt Admits Assault
Reacting to the development, the State Government said it would investigate the incident and ensure that the officers involved face the full wrath of the law.
A statement by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Governor, Mukhtar Gidado, on Friday, stated, “The Bauchi State Government under the inspirational leadership of Governor Bala Mohammed does not condone any form of violence or misconduct by law enforcement officers attached to the government house or any government personnel.”
“The government has promised a thorough investigation to ascertain the facts and ensure that those responsible are held accountable. “We assure the general public that if the officers involved are found to have acted improperly, they will be held accountable and face the full extent of the law,” the statement read.
SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, the Spokesman of the Bauchi State Police Command did not provide details on what happened on the incidnet against the helpless protester by their officers.
“Ask the state government,” SP Wakil told WikkiTimes.
WikkiTimes reports that the police, using tear gas, denied thousands of protesters access to the Government House on Thursday.
No fewer than 14 people were killed across states in Northern Nigeria after police deployed extreme force to quell #EndBadGovernance protests.
Millions of Nigerians took to the streets to protest against the economic hardship occasioned by the removal of the fuel subsidy, floating of naira and other unpopular policies of President Bola Tinubu.
