‘He was slapped, beaten,’ Abia doctor recounts 15-year-old brother’s ordeal in soldiers’ hands
A medical doctor, Dr. Rose Agwu, whose teenage brother was among those arrested by men of the Nigerian Army in the aftermath of the recent killing of soldiers in Aba, Abia State, has decried the abuse he endured while in custody.
“No child should experience what my innocent teen brother experienced these past hours. He was slapped, beaten and is still scared. His mental health will definitely need care for him to recover from this,” Agwu stated on Saturday via X, while confirming her brother’s release.
The doctor thanked well-wishers and authorities for their intervention, saying, “I want to say a very big thank you to every well-meaning Nigerian who tweeted and shed light on the arrest of innocent civilians living around Obikabia Junction Aba, Abia State, which included my 15-year-old brother and my younger sister.”
Agwu’s brother and sister were among several civilians reportedly arrested by soldiers following the killing of five soldiers at an Army checkpoint in Aba on Thursday.
In her earlier plea for help on Friday, Agwu had stated, “Around 5 am in the morning, the Nigerian Army invaded my house, broke the gate and our door, and took my 15-year-old brother and my sister, who had just come home, away, leaving only my aged father.”
The incident came after five soldiers were killed at an Army checkpoint in the Aba area of the state on Thursday.
Following the attack, the Nigerian military vowed that the killers would not go scot-free.
Meanwhile, the Abia State governor, Alex Otti, on Saturday, promised to give ₦25m to anyone who can provide information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators.
Otti made this announcement in a statement on X while condemning the incident during his visit to the families of the fallen soldiers.
“We have announced a ₦25m bounty on the heads of the criminals for anyone who can come up with any information that will lead to their apprehension,” Otti stated.
