The story of the Apo Six, one of Nigeria’s most controversial cases of alleged police brutality, is returning to public attention with the release of a new film based on the incident.
On the night of June 7, 2005, six friends—five men and one woman—were travelling home from an outing in Abuja when they were allegedly intercepted and killed by police officers. The victims were later buried in shallow graves, a development that sparked nationwide outrage and renewed concerns about police misconduct and extrajudicial killings.
The incident generated widespread public protests and prompted then-President Olusegun Obasanjo to establish a judicial panel of inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Following years of investigations and court proceedings, justice was delivered in 2017 when two police officers were sentenced to death for their roles in the killings, bringing a legal conclusion to the high-profile case.
The tragedy has since inspired The Night of June 7th, a feature film produced by Linda Ikeji Media, which chronicles the events surrounding the Apo Six case and its aftermath.
The film is scheduled for nationwide cinema release on August 28, with its producers describing it as a powerful retelling of one of Nigeria’s most significant human rights cases.