Detained soldiers losing eyesight, developing lung diseases in underground cell — wives speak out

Last Sunday, the wives of 36 military personnel currently facing court-martial over an alleged coup plot against President Bola Tinubu gave chilling interviews to SaharaReporters. According to these women, their husbands are being held in an underground detention facility where officials deliberately cut off ventilation as punishment. The men start coughing, choking, gasping for air until they scream. Many now have enlarged lungs and heart problems.

One wife said her husband was among the first 16 officers arrested and they were starved for four days — given only water to keep them alive. Another said most of the detainees now wear prescription glasses because prolonged darkness damaged their eyesight. When they tried to read the Quran during Ramadan, the pages appeared blurry even though the text was bold. Some could not look at direct sunlight anymore. The military doctors reportedly examined them and issued glasses, so the authorities know exactly what is happening.

Beyond the physical damage, the wives described psychological trauma. Men who were calm for over a decade of marriage now snap over small things. They are depressed, constantly afraid. This is not a story about guilt or innocence in a coup plot. This is about what we allow to happen to human beings in the name of national security. How do we explain that soldiers accused of a crime are losing their sight and lungs before any trial even concludes?