ABUJA, Nigeria – Mediaage NG News – Two soldiers have been arrested by the Nigerian army after a footage went viral, showing them torturing a civilian pleading for mercy.
In the video, a man in military fatigues and another in civilian clothing repeatedly kick and whip a third shirtless man.
“No, no sir, abeg! [I beg]. I will confess sir, abeg!” the man cries out.
The Nigerian army said it expressed “utmost dismay” at the “unprofessional conduct” displayed by the officers.
“It is instructive to mention that the soldiers involved in that unprofessional conduct have been clearly identified and arrested,” the army added in a statement on Wednesday.
The alleged assault took place in Nigeria’s Rivers state, but the date is unclear.
The circulation of the video on social media platforms earlier this week prompted widespread condemnation of the soldiers and Nigerian army, with one user on X describing the soldiers’ behaviour as “highly cruel, barbaric and nothing but abuse of power”.
The army has assured that it will conduct a thorough investigation to address the incident and promised to “sanction those involved”.
International human rights groups have previously criticised Nigeria’s army for alleged rights abuses, including torture, arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial killings.
Nigerian soldiers used to have a reputation for acting with impunity – for many years it was rare for soldiers to face disciplinary action if they attacked civilians.
But this has changed in recent years. Army chief Taoreed Lagbaja vowed to make the army more disciplined and professional when he was appointed last year.