Yakubu, visibly writhing in pain as uniformed guards battered him, was later dragged to the Missau Police Station, where he was detained for four days without charge.
The Emir of Missau’s palace in Bauchi State has come under heavy criticism after a viral video surfaced showing palace guards mercilessly flogging a teenager, Yakubu Mohammad Missau, for allegedly questioning the emir’s leadership style.
Yakubu, visibly writhing in pain as uniformed guards battered him, was later dragged to the Missau 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 Missau 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.
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 fueled the #EndSARS protests of 2020.
Critics say the Missau case underscores how traditional and state authorities often collude to silence dissent, using intimidation, detention, and public shaming to crush opposition voices.
For Yakubu, the ordeal remains fresh, and rights defenders argue that the matter should not be swept under the carpet.
Civil society groups have called for an independent investigation, prosecution of the palace guards involved, and accountability from both the emir and the Bauchi police authorities.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Bauchi State Police Command, Mohammed Wakil, said, “The case was not officially reported to the Command; we only became aware of it through social media, and no one is in our detention facility. Please.”
WATCH: Teenager Brutalised By Emir Of Missau’s Guards, Detained By Bauchi Police Without Charge pic.twitter.com/bBxY8yPmyW
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) September 28, 2025
