When Your Rights Are Wronged!

_{Emmanuel Ikwuegbu}

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If trampling on human rights were to be a virus taking over the world, Nigeria would be ground zero. This might sound to you like I am exaggerating, but if you are a Nigerian like me, then you will know very well that when it comes to rights, it is free for all!

We have freedom but doing the things you are free to do will most likely land you in jail or see you end up with a bullet hole in your chest. We have seen people imprisoned for the way they dressed, the car they drive, and people have been killed because they said something they shouldn’t have. What makes it sad is that those who meant to enforce our rights, hold them up and encourage us to fight for them are the very ones disregarding them.

We are suffering at the hands of our leaders, we are suffering from police, and other law enforcement agencies. It is sad that we live in a country where when people shout “Police!” everyone runs. Both the criminals and the innocents. Because you don’t have to be a criminal to become a prisoner, you just have to be in the wrong place and at the wrong time. It doesn’t matter if you have an absolutely legitimate reason to be there, you’ll be hauled off like a common thief.

It is sad indeed. Why should we be scared in our own country? Why should we be terrified of the people charged with protecting us? What did we do to deserve such injustice?

_{Tope A. Asokere}

If I should begin to recount the number of instances my rights have been trampled on, or the ones that I witnessed happen to others, it could cause PTSD. And the sad thing is that everyone is involved in this. People are looking for a way to have the upper hand over the other, and they don’t mind running them to the ground in the process.

The most blatant abuse of rights my government has shown was during the 2020 EndSARS protest, which led to the Lekki Tollgate Massacre, killing scores of youths who had come out to fight for their God-given right. We are going on the third year after now, and they think we have forgotten. They must be joking.

However, I have one that is even more personal. I am talking about this one because it happened very recently. The year 2023 had barely begun and I was already getting pulled over by the Police.

This was during the first days of the year when I went to the village. I am currently based in Imo State, and if you know this state they are notorious for its numerous checkpoints. One stretch of road alone can have up to seven different law enforcement agencies. You will see the police, Army, NDLEA, and Road Safety… and they don’t even set it far from each other. You can stay at one checkpoint, and if you look you will see the other.

_{Darya Sannikova}

And what do these guys mostly do? They extort money from drivers. Both from public transport workers and from private car owners. If they ask for your papers and there is something slightly off, they will bill you so much that you will regret owning a car.

But I’m digressing.

That fateful day, I was on my way to the village and during the trip, our bus got flagged down by the police. They had initially stopped the bus for the driver so he would show his papers, but when they looked in and saw two guys. I and one other guy were the only youths on the bus. The other passengers were elderly.

We were told to get down and we did. And that was how they began to search us. We were told to raise our hands while they dipped their hands into our pockets. These men were thorough! They literally pulled out the inner linen of my pockets and checked the folds. They were looking for marijuana, a little trace of it and I was in a bowl of soup. Thankfully, they didn’t find it. I for one don't smoke, so there was nothing to find anyway.

Next, they emptied our bags. I was carrying one of these popular purses that we wear across the chest. They emptied it and poured all my belongings on the floor as they perused it, looking for something their father did not put inside. All this while, I just watched them.

_{Kindel Media}

I didn’t bother trying to argue with them or anything. I never gave them a reason to warrant the search, and they didn’t give me one either. They just told me to come down and they started searching. I am enough Nigerian to know that these guys are super trigger-happy, all that is required is for one of them to just get a bit careless with their gun. And the next thing we would hear would be #justiceforkema.

I didn’t have any contraband on me, they found absolutely nothing. And so they returned everything back into the purse and returned it to me. The other guy that was with me was also searched in a similar fashion, and they didn’t find anything on him either.

Now note, I didn’t know the guy. We were just two random dudes that got on the same bus. But I am certain, if those men had found what they were looking for with just one of us, the other would most likely have been taken as well. This idea sounds ludicrous, but it is something we see happening every day.

Eventually, we were allowed to return to our bus. They even wanted to check our phones, but when we readily gave them, they realized that there was nothing they would find. Apparently, we were bad market for them.

_{Alexander Isreb}

And that was how we left.

And so, that was how it all went down. I was pulled over, searched, and just about turned inside out. Without any reason at all. They just did what they wanted, and when they were done, we were told to leave.

That is how every other person in a place of power does in this country. They do what they want, regardless of the people they hurt. All they know how to do is take, take and take! Plunging the masses into more suffering and chaos.

But then, there is light at the end of the tunnel. In just about a month, we all will march out en masse and root out all these weeds that are choking us. Enough is enough! We have suffered too much and it is high time we take a stand. Change is on the horizon, and this time around, it is the good kind of change. It is so close I can almost taste it. I am sure, that if we all go out there come election day and make the right choice, future generations will be grateful to us. The time to take back our country is now!

I have collected my PVC, have you?

_{Tope A. Asokere}

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_{Thank you for reading. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section, I would love to know what you are thinking. Till we meet in the next post.}

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_{This post is inspired by the third topic of this week which is Absence Of Rights. Feel free to take part.}

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