Content creator, Edobor Efosa Clinton, has taken to social media to recount a traumatic encounter with members of the Nigerian police force in Benin, exactly two years after a similar the incident occurred.
Clinton shared a chilling account of his near-death experience at the hands of the police, highlighting the pervasive issue of police brutality in Nigeria.
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According to Clinton’s narration, the ordeal began when he was driving home with a friend near Limit in Benin and approached a police checkpoint.
Upon stopping at the checkpoint, the police officers requested his driver’s license and vehicle papers, which he provided. However, when asked for a tinted permit, Clinton admitted he did not have one, prompting the officers to instruct him to accompany them to the station.
As Clinton prepared to follow the officers to the station, one of them suggested searching his car.
Citing a previous negative experience with the police, Clinton opted to record the search on video for his safety.
However, this decision led to a violent altercation, with the officers aggressively attacking him, throwing his phone away, and physically assaulting him.
Clinton described how one officer pressed his neck with such force that he feared for his life, shouting for help as he struggled to breathe.
Despite his pleas, no assistance came, and Clinton felt himself growing weaker as the officer continued to choke him.
Eventually, his colleagues intervened, dragging the assailant away and bundling Clinton into their vehicle. Throughout the ordeal, Clinton believed he was on the brink of death, resigning himself to his fate and preparing to meet his maker.
Upon arriving at the police station, Clinton was subjected to further threats and intimidation by the officers, who vowed to tarnish his reputation and incarcerate him.
In a desperate bid for justice, Clinton implored his social media followers to tag relevant authorities and raise awareness of his plight.
See his post below:
Exactly two years since this my horrible experience with members of the Nigerian police force @PoliceNG. Since this experience I’ve always had chronic phobia for the Nigerian police. Any time I see them, I start shaking due to this experience.
I just got molested and brutalized and almost killed today by Nigerian police officers. Here’s how it happened. I was driving home with my friend in Benin close to Limit when we approached a police checkpoint. They stopped us, we stoppe. They’ve stopped another car before us. Seems they found him wanting of something I don’t know. So they asked for my driver’s license and vehicle papers which I gave them. It was all complete and they asked for tinted permit. I did not have so they said we should go to the station. Me and the car they stopped earlier. As we were about to go to the station, Then one of the officers asked if they’ve searched my car, the said no and wanted to search. I don’t trust the police ever since my last terrible experience with them so I said they should search and I’d video them while searching. In the process of making the video, they rushed me. Threw my phone away. Started beating the hell out of me . Slapped my ear. One of them pressed my neck with all his might. I thought I was going to die. I was shouting HELP but no one came to my rescue.
Let me catch my breathe please . I’d continue. My hands are shaking 😭😭😭😒
They officer strangling my neck had the intention to kill me. I was close to seeing my maker. I thought k won’t make it. I thought I will die 😭😭😭. I shouted “help” and “I Dey die” . After sometime, I gave up and stopped shouting as I was already weak. I accreted my faith. When they noticed I was dying, his colleagues came to push him off me and bundled me inside their bus. They freed the other car automatically and other police officers took my car keys to drive it to their station.
As we were about driving one suggested they go back and meet the other car they freed so that they can take him to the station as a witness. So they did. E drive with us to the station. And he made his statement in a separate room. Which I’m very sure he’d to told what to write to favor them.
Do they took me to a room there and the officer that almost strangled me to death kept throwing tantrums at me. Threatening that he will kill me and nothing will happen. That they should not allow me go home that he wants to put a stain in my name as an ex convict that I must sleep in their cell.
One of them wrote statement on my behalf. Asked for my name. Wrote everything and asked me to sign and write date. Took my friend’s statement too. And the superior amongst them said before I leave, a family member needs to be present so I called my uncle (dad’s brother) since my dad is late. He came, the changed the whole story for him and my uncle started apologizing to them and they allowed us leave.
They did all this process to cover everything incase I report them. So they asked me to open my phone, went to the video and the recorded some part from it. Then they gave me the phone and asked me to delete the video from my phone and recently deleted. They were looking at me delete it but I smartly duplicate it , moved one to hidden files then deleted the other one before I was allowed to leave.
My neck is seriously aching me. If I swallow saliva, I’d feel very sharp pains. Please I need justice . If you see this, please tag the necessary authorities. Nigerian police that is supposed to protect me is now the one that wants to kill me. I’m traumatized 😭😭😭. I need help 😭😭😭😭
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
