ABUJA — The aftermath of Tuesday’s violent dispersal of protesters at the National Assembly has taken a darker turn, as a motorist has come forward with a harrowing account of being singled out, beaten, and robbed of his vehicle by men of the Nigeria Police Force.
The victim, whose identity is being protected for safety, raised a desperate alarm on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, describing a scene of unprovoked state-sponsored violence that has left him both physically injured and without his means of livelihood.
The “Targeted” Assault
The incident occurred during the “Occupy National Assembly” demonstration, where citizens gathered to demand the mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results. While the police used tear gas to scatter the larger crowd, the victim claims his encounter was far more personal and brutal.
“Men of the Nigerian Police Force beat me up multiple times during the protest,” the man cried out in a viral video. “They seized my car and some of my possessions, and I don’t know why I was targeted. I wasn’t carrying a weapon; I was just there like everyone else.”
Witnesses at the scene confirmed that several individuals were cornered by officers near the Mopol Gate, where the “normal” procedure of crowd control allegedly devolved into a spree of physical assault and property confiscation.
“The People’s Enemy”—Nigerians Blast Police Conduct
The report of the beating and car seizure has ignited a firestorm of criticism across the country. For many Nigerians, the police have transitioned from being “law enforcers” to being “tools of political repression.”
- “State-Sponsored Thuggery”:Â “When a police officer beats an unarmed man and steals his car, he is no longer a policeman; he is a thug in uniform,” remarked an Abuja-based civil rights lawyer. “This is a dangerous descent into lawlessness where the state uses the police to ‘tax’ and punish those who dare to speak up.”
- “Aisha Yesufu’s Verdict”: Prominent activist Aisha Yesufu, who was also tear-gassed during the protest, slammed the force, labeling them the “number one enemy of the Nigerian people.” She argued that the police are being used to protect a “corrupt status quo” while turning their guns on the taxpayers who pay their salaries.
- “Selective Efficiency”: Critics on social media blasted the FCT Police Command, noting the irony of their “bravery” against a lone motorist while kidnappers continue to terrorize the outskirts of the capital. “They have energy to seize a car in the CBD, but no energy to enter the bushes of Kuje to rescue victims,” one viral post on X (formerly Twitter) read.
The Silence of the Command
Despite the victim’s public plea and the tagging of various police handles, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer has remained silent on the specific case of the seized vehicle as of late Wednesday night.
The victim has now approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Police Complaint Response Unit (CRU), demanding the immediate return of his car and an apology for the “inhumane” treatment he received.
As the 2026 Electoral Act is signed into law, the bruises on this motorist’s body serve as a grim reminder of the physical cost of demanding transparency in modern-day Nigeria.
