The Nigerian military is facing fresh backlash over the alleged abduction and torture of activist Justice Crack, who was reportedly chained to a tree for 72 hours following a video he shared exposing military brutality. According to family members and social media reports, the activist was targeted after highlighting the extrajudicial killing of a civilian by soldiers and drawing attention to poor welfare conditions among rank-and-file troops. A video posted on X by @drkenon2 on Saturday showed a woman, believed to be a relative, in tears as she described how Justice Crack was left under the sun, bound and tortured. "Justice has been under the sun. He was tied to a tree and he was left outside for 72 hours and he's been tortured by the military. What's his crime? His crime is that he spoke for the oppressed Nigerians," she said. She accused the military of silencing dissent and turning Nigeria into a police state. The incident has sparked outrage online, with users condemning the army's actions and questioning why no action was taken against others accused of threatening public figures. Some social media users raised concerns over ethnic profiling, noting that Justice Crack is of Igbo descent. Others defended the military, suggesting the activist may have been supporting coup plotters or pushing a political agenda tied to the 2023 elections. The hashtag #FreeJusticeCrackNow is trending as calls grow for his release and for officers involved to be investigated.
The military claims to defend national order, yet its personnel allegedly detained and tortured a civilian without charges or trial. Justice Crack was targeted not for violence but for speaking out against violence, undermining the army's claim of discipline. If soldiers can punish critics privately, no Nigerian is truly safe from arbitrary force. The chain around one man's body may as well be around the nation's voice.
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