In a shocking case of state brutality and abuse of power, officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have been accused of mercilessly assaulting two brothers and their elderly mother in Abuja—all because they wore red berets symbolising the RevolutionNow movement.
The victims—Innocent Gabriel, Gabriel Smart Victor, and their mother—were en route to the National Assembly complex when they were reportedly ambushed, brutalised, and later detained by NSCDC operatives in what has been described as a gross violation of their fundamental human rights.
Narrating the harrowing ordeal to SaharaReporters on Monday, Victor said the officers descended on them without provocation, inflicting severe physical injuries and leaving them traumatised.
> “We were knocked down and beaten—all of us. I sustained injuries on my knee and palm, my brother on his knee and jaw, and my mother was bruised on her shoulder,” Victor recounted.
“They said our only offence was wearing the red beret. Our phones—my Samsung Galaxy A03 and Innocent’s Tecno Pop 9 Pro—were taken. My motorcycle was also badly damaged.”
Despite their visible injuries, Victor said the NSCDC denied them medical attention during their detention at the Corps’ Zone 5 office, showing blatant disregard for their well-being.
“Our mother, an elderly woman, was not spared. They dehumanised and injured her, beating her in our presence. It was humiliating and inhumane,” he added.
The incident has sparked outrage among civil society and human rights groups, many of whom are calling for an immediate investigation and prosecution of the officers involved.
The RevolutionNow movement, led by Nigerian activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, has long been a symbol of resistance against bad governance, economic hardship, and systemic corruption in Nigeria. First launched under the Take It Back campaign in 2018, the movement gained traction in 2019 when the Coalition for Revolution (CORE) called for nationwide protests demanding:
A people-focused economy
Democratic solutions to insecurity
An end to systemic corruption
Full implementation of the ₦30,000 minimum wage
Free and quality education for all
On August 3, 2019, Sowore was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) ahead of the protests, charged with treason for championing the demonstration. Since then, the red beret associated with RevolutionNow has become a potent symbol of defiance and a rallying cry for Nigeria’s oppressed youth.
The brutal treatment of Gabriel, Victor, and their mother highlights a deepening climate of intolerance, where even symbolic dissent is met with brute force. Legal experts and human rights advocates have slammed the NSCDC for what they describe as a “descent into authoritarianism” and have demanded swift justice.
As the nation reels from this latest episode of abuse, many Nigerians are asking: When did wearing a beret become a crime in a democratic state?
PIONEER NEWS 