Fresh allegations of torture, starvation and inhumane treatment have emerged from the families of some of the 36 military personnel currently facing court-martial over an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government, with the wives of some of the detainees claiming that their husbands are developing severe health complications after months in custody.
The women, who spoke to SaharaReporters during separate interviews on Sunday, alleged that prolonged starvation, poor feeding, confinement in an underground detention facility and repeated exposure to suffocating conditions have left many of the detained officers and soldiers battling deteriorating eyesight, high blood pressure, respiratory illnesses and psychological trauma.
According to one of the wives, the physical condition of her husband has drastically deteriorated since his arrest.
“Physically, he is no longer the person we knew before his arrest. He has lost a lot of weight because of poor feeding and starvation,” she said.
“My husband was among the first 16 officers arrested. They were starved for about four days. During that period, they were given only water to drink, just enough to keep them alive. They survived on water alone for four consecutive days.”
The wives alleged that the prolonged deprivation and harsh detention conditions have triggered serious medical problems among the detainees.
“Most of them now have heart-related problems and lung complications. My husband has developed high blood pressure, while some others have developed enlarged lungs,” one of the women said.
She alleged that the illnesses stemmed from repeated incidents in which officials deliberately cut off ventilation to punish the detainees inside the underground facility where they are being held.
“The detention facility is underground and the only ventilation they have comes from a central air-conditioning system. Whenever they want to punish them, they switch off the electricity and ventilation and leave them there for long periods.
“They begin to cough, choke and gasp for air because there are no windows and no other source of fresh air. They breathe heavily and struggle for air until they start screaming.
“Many of them have developed lung-related illnesses because of these repeated incidents.”
The women also alleged that prolonged confinement in darkness and underground conditions has damaged the eyesight of many detainees.
Most of them are now using glasses because they can no longer see properly,” one of the wives said.
“They cannot look directly at sunlight anymore. Their eyes are extremely sensitive. They struggle to read and their vision has become blurry.”
According to her, the eyesight problems became apparent during Ramadan when the detainees requested copies of the Quran for prayers and recitation.
“When they opened the Quran, they could barely read the text. The pages appeared blurry. Some of them said it looked almost blank,” she said.
“These were normal-sized Qurans with bold lettering, but they could not read them. That was when they realised something was seriously wrong with their eyesight.”
She added that after repeated complaints, military doctors reportedly examined some of the detainees and issued prescription glasses.
“They eventually brought doctors who gave many of them glasses. The military authorities know about the damage because they provided the glasses themselves,” she added.
“When they were later brought outside, many of them discovered they could not even tolerate direct sunlight anymore.”
The wives further alleged that detainees suffering from pre-existing medical conditions have experienced worsening health due to inadequate medical care.
“Those who already had conditions such as diabetes have become worse because they are not receiving proper treatment,” one of them said.
Beyond the physical ailments, the women said months of detention, isolation and alleged mistreatment have left many of the accused officers psychologically broken.
“Psychologically, it has destroyed many of them. They are traumatised, depressed and constantly afraid,” one of the wives said.
“They become agitated over the smallest things. They snap easily and react in ways that are completely different from their normal behaviour.”
The woman said she had been married to her husband for more than a decade and had never witnessed such behavioural changes before his detention.
“I have been married to him for over 10 years. No matter how angry he became before, I never saw him behave this way,” she said.
“Now, he gets triggered very easily. It is obvious that what they have gone through has affected them mentally. It is a clear sign of trauma and depression.”
The allegations come amid growing concerns over the treatment of the detained military personnel, who are standing trial before a General Court-Martial on charges including conspiracy, mutiny and failure to suppress mutiny.
As previously reported by SaharaReporters, the military officers and soldiers have alleged prolonged detention and harsh treatment while awaiting trial over accusations that they participated in a conspiracy to overthrow the Nigerian government between January 2022 and November 2025.
The case recently sparked controversy after the President of the court-martial allegedly declared that a prima facie case had already been established against the defendants before the prosecution called any witness or tendered evidence, prompting defence lawyers to accuse the tribunal of prejudging the matter.
The trial has been adjourned for the continuation of proceedings.
(SaharaReporters)
