SaharaReporters gathered that his release followed widespread outrage on social media after the video of the assault went viral.
A teenager, Yakubu Mohammad Missau, who was mercilessly flogged by palace guards of the Emir of Misau in Bauchi State and later handed over to the police, has been released.
SaharaReporters gathered that his release followed widespread outrage on social media after the video of the assault went viral.
“The boy has now been released due to the furore generated on social media,” a source familiar with the matter told SaharaReporters on Sunday afternoon.
SaharaReporters earlier on Sunday reported that the palace of the Emir of Misau, Alhaji Ahmed Suleiman, in Bauchi State had come under heavy criticism after a viral video surfaced showing palace guards mercilessly flogging the teenager for allegedly questioning the emir’s leadership style.
Yakubu, visibly writhing in pain as uniformed guards battered him, was later dragged to the Misau Police Station, where he was detained for four days without charge.
Rather than being allowed to speak freely after his release, he was reportedly coerced into recording a video showering praises on the police for “taking good care” of him in detention, a narrative that sharply contradicted the harsh ordeal he actually endured.
In another forced clip, Yakubu was made to exonerate the emir, Ahmad Suleiman, from any involvement in the torture.
Rights campaigners have described the move as an attempt to cover up a blatant abuse of power.
The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, has sparked widespread outrage, with human rights groups and activists calling for justice.
One prominent activist, Abba Hikima, took to Facebook to condemn the humiliation and brutality Yakubu suffered, insisting the Emir of Misau and the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police must pay compensation.
“What happened to Yakubu is barbaric and unacceptable. This is nothing short of impunity and oppression,” he declared.
Similarly, DOMΞ (@Domenclature) wrote on X, “Like I posted a few days ago, the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, does not recognize any monarch, such as Oba, Saduana, Emir, Olubadan, or Obi; as a matter of fact, they are not even mentioned in the Constitution.
“Therefore, any of them that acts in any official capacity, with authority is acting ultra vires; which means in adverb, and adjective form, acting beyond one’s legal power or authority. Simply put, anything any of these traditional leaders do is beyond the legal power or authority of such a traditional ruler, beyond the scope, outside the bounds, and extra vires.
“They have zero role to play. So, this gentleman called Emir of Missau and his guards are criminals, just by acting with authority they were not given by the Constitution; and by extension, all monarchs in Nigeria are illegal entities that should be tried for impersonation.”
https://x.com/Domenclature/status/1972287552544719047
“When will all this nonsense stop eh,” Pax et Divitiae (@lord_eminent1), another X user, wrote.
https://x.com/lord_eminent1/status/1972311278682284348
Richard Dion (@rich_aed) wrote, “A lot of these people are barbaric.”
https://x.com/rich_aed/status/1972314275483127968
This latest incident adds to a long list of human rights abuses linked to both traditional palaces and the Nigerian police.
Across northern Nigeria, palace guards, often acting without oversight, have been accused of acting as enforcers for monarchs, dispensing corporal punishment against perceived critics.
Similarly, police formations in the country have repeatedly been exposed for arbitrary detentions, torture, and the use of forced confessions.
Such abuses fuelled the #EndSARS protests of 2020.
Critics say the Misau case underscores how traditional and state authorities often collude to silence dissent, using intimidation, detention, and public shaming to crush opposition voices.
WATCH: Teenager Brutalised By Emir Of Misau’s Guards In Viral Video And Later Detained By Police, Released After Social Media Outrage pic.twitter.com/C8tF9gQPUI
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) September 28, 2025
