A Christian pastor in Nigeria says he lost his eyesight after law enforcers tortured him after accusing him of using counterfeit money, a charge he flatly denied.
Ejimozor Williams, 46, a pastor of Gracious and Mercy Prophetic International Church in the town of Egbeda in Ayobo state, shared the horrifying experience he faced at the hands of Department of State Services (DSS) agents back in 2014 after he was accused of using fake bills.
He told the Nigerian news site The Punch that he was detained for weeks. He said government security agents also badly tortured him, causing him to lose hist eyesight.
His woes started after the agents raided his home in May 2014, looking for a "houseboy" named Chukwujekwu. Williams was letting Chukwujekwu live in his home, but after seeing the agents, he immediately fled.
The "houseboy" was accused of defrauding local residents by using fake currency, according to Pulse. But since he was already gone, the blame fell on Williams.
"During the search, they found the fake dollars Chukwujekwu used to defraud people in the area. They said I should sign a statement, but I refused," Williams said. "They beat me up."
He was taken to the DSS office in Magodo where he was first tortured. Williams said one of the agents pistol-whipped him in the head and threatened to kill him. As a result of the head blow, part of his skull was compressed.
"It was when we arrived at their head office that I realised they were DSS officials," he explained. "They chained my hands and feet. The next day, they informed me that [one of the local residents] told them that we both used fake dollars to defraud people. I denied the claim."
For three weeks, Williams was held "incommunicado" and he was "constantly tortured." Agents offered to release him in exchange for money, but he didn't have anything to offer.
"After another round of torture, I fainted and was rushed to a clinic where they told them that my blood pressure was low," Williams recalled.
He was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department of the Lagos State Police Command. He was then taken to Ikoyi Prison. There, he began to suffer from a horrible migraine.
"This led to a partial stroke. I was at home some weeks later when everywhere suddenly went blank. I couldn't see anything again and that was how I went blind," Williams said. "Now, I cannot do anything for myself and my family. I am frustrated. I also have diabetes and high blood pressure."
