By Palang Paul
Amnesty International has condemned the reported arrest and alleged torture of Plateau activist Nansel Selnan Lar over photographs and videos of local government projects posted on Facebook.
Nasel Lar was reportedly arrested on October 27, 2026, by personnel of the Nigerian Army’s 24 Armoured Brigade in Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State.
In a statement, Amnesty International Nigeria said the arrest was allegedly linked to Lar’s social media posts questioning local government spending and demanding accountability for public funds allocated to community projects.
The organisation said military personnel allegedly tortured the activist and accused him of taking and publishing the photographs and videos.
Amnesty International said Lar is currently being held in police custody in Langtang North, describing his reported detention as unlawful.
The organisation said the incident was not the first time Lar had faced alleged violations linked to his demands for transparency and accountability.
According to Amnesty International, Lar’s ordeal began in June 2026 after he submitted Freedom of Information requests seeking details of local government budgets, capital projects and expenditure.
Rather than receiving responses to his requests, the organisation alleged, Lar was arrested multiple times and subjected to what it described as a sham trial based on questionable charges.
Amnesty International said Lar had spent 46 days in prison over the matter.
The organisation called for his immediate and unconditional release, urging authorities to respect citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and access to public information.
It maintained that demanding accountability from public officials over the use of public funds is a legitimate civic responsibility and should not be treated as a criminal offence.
The Nigerian Army and the police had not provided their responses to the allegations in the information made available for this report.
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