Human rights lawyer, Barrister Maxwell Opara, has expressed deep concern over the deteriorating treatment of peaceful protesters detained by security agencies in Nigeria, following the reported collapse of Chief Aloy Ejimako at the Kuje Correctional Center.
According to Opara, he had just concluded a visit to the Department of State Services (DSS) facility where he met Mazi Nnamdi Kanu (MNK) when he began receiving messages that Chief Ejimako had collapsed while in custody.
He immediately proceeded to Kuje Prison, where he demanded access to see the ailing lawyer.
Opara recounted that prison officers on duty escorted him to the prison clinic, where Chief Ejimako was being treated.
“I was relieved to see that he was recuperating. I prayed and encouraged him to remain strong,” he said.
He further revealed that Chief Aloy Ejimako, Omoyele Sowore, Barrister Okere Kingdom, Prince Emma Kanu, and other detainees arrested during a recent peaceful protest were granted bail on Friday, October 24, 2025.
However, despite meeting their bail conditions by noon, they were not released due to the absence of the magistrate required to sign their release warrant.
“It is unfortunate that whenever Nigerian security agents commit illegalities, they rush to the courts to seek cover,” Opara lamented.
He condemned the excessive use of force against unarmed citizens, describing it as “barbaric and unlawful.”
He particularly decried the maltreatment of Chief Ejimako, who is in his seventies, stating, “Imagine a man of over 70 years being tear-gassed and subjected to inhumane treatment simply because he joined a peaceful protest.”
Despite their ordeal, Opara expressed gratitude that all the detainees remained in high spirits, vowing to continue to stand by them in the struggle for justice and accountability.
