Military officers detained by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) over an alleged coup plot against President Bola Tinubu are being held in what sources described as a 30-foot underground detention facility, where they have been exposed to harmful radiation from a signal-jamming device, resulting in severe health complications.
Top military sources familiar with the detention conditions told SaharaReporters that the accused officers are being confined in an underground facility where the only source of breathable air is supplied through an artificial air-conditioning system.
According to the sources, the detainees have developed hearing problems, memory loss, vision impairment, persistent migraines, dizziness, breathing difficulties, loss of appetite and other serious health complications after a radiation-emitting jamming device was installed inside their detention area.
One of the sources explained that the device was introduced following a search conducted by security officials after suspicions that some of the detained officers had smuggled food items into the facility.
“Actually, where they are keeping the accused officers is a 30-foot underground confined detention facility,” the source said.
“The only source of oxygen is from the artificial air-conditioning system. About two weeks ago, they suspected that some of the accused had smuggled food into the illegal detention facility.
“So, they came and conducted a search. Immediately after the search, they brought in a jamming system device, a device that emits radiation. The effect of a jamming device in a closed room, a vacuum or a confined area is enormous.
“The jamming device competes for oxygen. It consumes a significant portion of the already limited artificial oxygen supplied underground, more than 50 percent of the artificial oxygen given in the underground facility.
“The effects on the accused officers include dizziness, severe headaches, migraines and numerous other health hazards.”
Another military source stated that the conditions inside the underground facility have continued to deteriorate, with detainees experiencing worsening physical and neurological symptoms after being exposed to the device for more than two weeks.
“Difficulty in breathing, lack of sleep, incognizance, hormone regulation problems and several other health hazards have become common among the detained officers,” the source said.
“Overexposure to such radiation can cause cancer. It destroys human cells and can also make a man infertile.
“Now, they have been exposed to that radiation in a closed room, a closed vacuum, for more than two weeks. Most of the accused are now suffering hearing problems, memory loss, vision impairment and severe headaches around the clock, alongside other issues associated with prolonged exposure to radiation.
“This is the situation they are facing in the Defence Intelligence Agency’s illegal and dehumanising 30-foot underground detention facility.
“Currently, they have placed the radiation jammer inside the room with them. The jammer is competing for the limited artificial oxygen supplied through the air-conditioning system, while the radiation continues circulating within the confined space.
“As a result, virtually all the accused officers being held underground are experiencing one medical condition or another, including vision problems, hearing impairment, loss of appetite, dizziness, hormone regulation issues and persistent migraines.”
Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that the proceedings before the military tribunal trying Nigerian military personnel accused of plotting to overthrow the administration of Tinubu have become increasingly controversial, with tribunal officials allegedly telling senior defence lawyers to “shut up and go to hell” while also preventing family members from visiting some of the detained soldiers.
Sources familiar with the proceedings told SaharaReporters that the latest session of the tribunal took a dramatic turn after defence lawyers challenged procedural irregularities and restrictions placed on their participation.
According to multiple sources present during the proceedings, tribunal officials insisted that lawyers appearing before the military panel could not expect the same protections and procedural safeguards available in Nigeria’s civilian courts.
One tribunal official dismissed objections raised by senior defence counsel, telling them to “shut up and go to hell,” an outburst that shocked lawyers and observers present at the hearing.
Lawyers and family members who attended the proceedings said the tribunal adopted a markedly different approach from that of Nigeria’s regular courts, limiting objections by defence counsel and asserting broad control over the conduct of the trial.
A top family source told SaharaReporters that the controversy deepened after relatives of several of the detained military personnel were prevented from visiting their loved ones in detention without any explanation from the authorities.
According to the source, family members arrived expecting to see the detained soldiers but were denied access and were not informed why the visits had been prohibited.
“The families were simply turned back. No explanation was given to them. They have continued to deny them access without providing any official reason,” the source said.
The continued restriction has heightened anxiety among relatives of the detained personnel, many of whom say they have been unable to ascertain the welfare and health conditions of their family members.
Family members expressed concern over the continued denial of access, insisting that they had received no official communication explaining the restrictions or indicating when they would be allowed to visit the detainees again.