A BBC investigation into an outlawed and illegal torture tactic used by members of the Nigerian Armed Forces, which include the Nigerian Army, Police and others, has revealed how civilians are abused and often tortured to death for minor crimes.
Known as Tabay, the now criminalized tactic, which was made illegal by a 2007 Anti-Torture Bill in Nigeria, originates from Sierra Leone where Nigeria’s military served in Peace Keeping capacities during the Sierra Leone civil war, but dates back to 100 BC in Egypt, over 2000 years ago.
Several footages in the documentary revealed that the tactic, which involves pulling the arms of the victim to their back and tieing them together tightly enough to stop the flow and circulation of blood flow, is still being used today.
Parts of the documentary show that men of the notorious Special Anti Robbery Squard (SARS) use this tactic on some of their victims, who are often suspects in minor cases of theft crimes.
The SARS operatives have been fingered by BBC as the biggest culprit in the practice of using tabay as a torture technique used to force information out of suspects.
The documentary revealed that the SARS officers often club and taser their victims at the same time, while they are restricted through the tabay torture technique, which often leads to their deaths.
The video documentary, which is highly graphic, shows a series of investigations that expose how members of the Nigerian Armed Forces use this torture technique, even after it has been outlawed.
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