Soldiers attached to the depot barracks in Zaria, Kaduna, detained Busayo (not real name), a mother of two, in the barracks’ detention centre for 16 days following a senior officer’s death moments after meeting her.

Major Martins arrived the barracks on Saturday, December 4, and sent for Busayo. She arrived a while later, but ended up passing the night in a detention room, treated as a murderer and denied access to her family.

A source, on condition of anonymity, told FIJ that the army knew she was not responsible for Martins’ death, but nonetheless detained her as a scapegoat.

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“Something is going on there. They have detained and refused everybody access to her since Saturday,” the source told FIJ.

The army would later learn from an autopsy that Martins died from an overdose of Viagra, a sex enhancement drug.

Busayo was released on December 20, with a stern warning not to communicate with the press or disclose details of her ordeal in detention.

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When FIJ attempted to reach her, a man answered her call and said she was released conditionally, and one of the conditions was for her to not speak with the press.

FIJ made attempts to reach Onyeama Nwachukwu, army spokesman, but he did not answer calls. As of press time, he had also not responded to a text message sent to his number.