Some of the released EndBadGovernance protesters
arrested during the August 2024 nationwide protests in Kaduna said they were
never tortured while in detention.
They also stated that they never saw their alleged
sponsor, Khalid while in detention.
Narrating their accounts after their release, they
said they were treated fairly during their stay in detention.
One of the released protesters, Dahiru Hamza from
Tudun Wada, Kaduna, stated that their release followed the new DSS
Director-General’s decision.
He explained, “‘Honestly, I was not happy with the
person that sponsored us to the protest, Khalid.
“This was because he convinced us to believe that he
had police authorisation to embark on the protest, only for us to end up in DSS
custody.
“But, we were lucky; since our arrest, we were never
tortured or maltreated.
” I sometimes challenged our sponsor, who was with us
in the same room for days.
” None of us was tortured in that room, and I never
saw him being tortured either.”
Hamza further added that after his arrest, he became
scared, thinking he would be maltreated.
He added,”But, that never happened. After writing my
statement, I was even given food to eat before my detention, and the medical
team attended to us.”
Hamza said the only problem they faced was being
confined into a place because they were not used to being kept in one place for
a long time as a DJ.
He added,”Apart from that, nobody beat or maltreated
us.
“You know it was not easy to stay in a place for days
or more than a month without knowing your fate, even if you are well fed.
“That, I will say, was the problem, but nobody beat us
in detention.
“If I had been tortured, now that I’m free from
detention, I would not be afraid to say I was tortured, but I was not.
” I don’t know why Khalid claimed he was tortured in
detention.”
Similarly, another released protester, Abdullahi Isa,
arrested on August 2nd, said nobody touched him in the name of beating in
detention.
Isa said, “We were in the room with Khalid, and I can
tell you for a fact that nobody touched me or beat anybody among us.
” I never saw him being beaten or tortured.”
He said they were not expecting to be released until
they were called upon, that the new DGSS said their guardians were invited to
write a statement on their behalf, and they were allowed to go after that.
” Abdullahi concluded that since their release from
the DSS on the order of the new DGSS, none of the officers of the organisation
had called or harassed them.
Isa averred, ” We later heard that the new DGSS even
told the Kaduna DSS to review all operation and legal procedures of their cases
and that of Khalid in Court.
“That why why he is a free man today even though he
sponsored us.” (NAN)
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