A human rights advocate, Ukan Kurugh, has intervened on behalf of a young man who was arrested by officers of the Nigeria Police Force in Makurdi, Benue State, for what was described as “late night movement.”
According to Kurugh, the incident occurred early last Wednesday morning when the young man was returning from work around 11:00 p.m. in the Kanshiro area.
He was stopped by police officers, arrested, and taken to a station in town, where he was asked to pay ₦8,000 for bail processed through a POS machine at the facility. Kurugh stated that after his intervention, the ₦8,000 was refunded to the young man on the spot.
In a public statement, Kurugh emphasised that no police officer has the legal right to arrest a citizen solely for late night movement or to search a phone without a valid warrant, and that this applies across Benue State, particularly in Makurdi, Otukpo, and Gboko. He expressed concern that some officers have remained in the same postings for too long, leading to unhealthy alliances and practices that fall short of law enforcement standards.
Kurugh, who identifies as a human and gender rights advocate, urged citizens to remain calm and cooperative when confronted while also providing his contact details for those in need of assistance. He reiterated the need to advocate for accountability and work towards sanitising policing practices in Nigeria.
