Released hunger protester recounts ordeal in prison
One of the released #Endbadgovernance protesters, Hassan Muhammad, on Tuesday recounted his ordeal at the Kuje prison, Abuja.
Muhammad, a resident of Ghana road in Malali in the Kaduna North Local Government Area of the state, was among persons released by the federal government to the Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, on Tuesday.
Daily Tribune quoted Muhammed as saying, “I was arrested on August 5, 2024 at the Ahmadu Bello Way in Kaduna during the #EndBadGovernance protest. After our arrest, we were taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department where we gave our statements and from there, we were moved to the Federal Criminal Investigation Department.’’
President Bola Tinubu ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, to facilitate their release.
Muhammad stated, “We spent 18 days at the FCID and after that we were later taken to kuje Prison. It is an experience that will stay with me for a while and the feeding was also bad. They gave us beans and garri for the days we spent there.”
Efforts to contact the spokesman for the Nigeria Correctional Service, Abubakar Umar, to confirm the claims were unsuccessful as he neither picked calls nor responded to a text message sent to his mobile.
Recall that on August 5, some protesters were arrested by the Nigeria Police force and arraigned in court for treason and conspiracy to commit felony with intent to destabilise Nigeria, which is contrary to Section 96 and punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code Act.
The defendants were among the protesters nationwide who participated in the hunger protest.
Though reunited with his family on Wednesday, he expressed worry over his experience.
Also commenting on his experience is another released protester, Muhammad Abubakar from Zaria who said “I have learnt a valuable lesson with my arrest and detention, adding that the experience would also be with him for a while.
The Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, Rabi Salisu, also urged the discharged protesters to return to their communities and engage in advocacy, sensitisation and peace building so that they could be better members of society.
She said released protesters comprising 39 adults and two minors would be supported with empowerment and psychosocial service.
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