A U.S. military officer has shared a detailed account of an altercation involving three police officers who confronted him, physically assaulted him, and pepper-sprayed him just as he was about to board a cab.
The officer recounted the incident in a lengthy statement posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
In his post, the military officer explained that he had ventured out without his usual security detail.
Shortly afterward, a police officer approached him, holding his gun high.
He asked the officer to lower his weapon, but instead, the officer shoved him.
As a military officer, he instinctively defended himself and attempted to push the officer’s gun aside.
This quickly escalated when two other officers joined in, and the three of them began to physically assault him. When they failed to overpower him, they resorted to pepper spraying him.
The situation was defused when military personnel arrived and intervened.
The officers, upon realizing his identity, became more cooperative, and the military members assisted him in returning to his hotel.
Here’s his full statement:
“How my night ended, thanks to the Nigerian police. It could’ve been much worse if not for the intervention of the Nigerian Army and Captain Abdullah in the Air Force. Here’s the story, and I’ve seen firsthand that this organization is beyond reform.”
“Usually, when I go out, I’m never alone. I have a security detail, and most times, I wear a touch of camouflage. I’ve never been bothered. Tonight, I decided to go out by myself. I went to a rave, had fun, and then decided to check out another spot.”
“My cab had just pulled up when a police officer walked up to me, holding his weapon high. I asked him to at least lower it if we were going to have a conversation. Instead, he pushed me aggressively. As a soldier, my first instinct was to protect myself, so I quickly shoved his weapon aside.”
“At that moment, two other officers joined in, and one even fired his weapon, as if that would intimidate me. I guess that threw them off, and a fight ensued with all three of them. When they couldn’t take me down, they pepper-sprayed me.
“I didn’t even want to identify myself as anything other than a regular civilian. But I guess they thought my accent might intimidate me.”
“They said I would be taken to the station. About 10 minutes passed, and then four men arrived: three in military uniform and one in civilian clothes. As soon as they asked what was going on, I told them who I was. Immediately, the whole dynamic changed. The police officers began acting friendly and cooperative.”
“I simply told the military personnel that I wanted to go back to my hotel. Captain Abdullah offered to have his team take me, but I declined. I was just too upset. They helped flag down a taxi, and now I’m on my way as I type this.”
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