In a shocking incident that has sparked outrage online, Nigerian photographer Chris Ogunsola shared a disturbing account of harassment and assault he faced while traveling to Minna, Niger State.
According to Ogunsola, he was booked to cover a wedding event scheduled for Thursday, 24th, and Friday, 25th. While on his way to Minna, his team was reportedly stopped by a Joint Task Force (JTF) checkpoint. The officers allegedly demanded that his assistants follow them into the bush for a forced haircut.
Chris, who had a low-cut hairstyle, attempted to plead on behalf of his team. However, he claims that instead of listening, a soldier and an officer from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) turned violent. They reportedly beat him with a fan belt and hose, insisting he had no business interfering in their actions.
The officers then allegedly forced the assistants to shave their hair against their will. To make matters worse, they demanded ₦2,000 from one of the assistants, who was instructed to send the payment to an Opay account belonging to one of the soldiers involved.
The incident has drawn attention from human rights advocates and media pages such as @verydarkblackman, @instablog9ja, and @humanrightsradio101.1, as Chris tagged them in his post seeking justice.
This incident highlights the ongoing concerns around abuse of power by security personnel in Nigeria. Many Nigerians are calling for an immediate investigation into the matter and for justice to be served.
We will continue to monitor this story and bring updates as they unfold.