A South Sudanese medical professional who runs a drug store and clinic in the capital, Juba, says he was briefly detained by security forces last week following a dispute with a city council officer over garbage collection fees.
Dr Nyang Bol Nyang told Radio Tamazuj that the incident happened last Thursday after a Juba City Council (JCC) official accused him of failing to pay garbage fees, an allegation he denies.
Dr Nyang said he was ordered to close his facility, handcuffed and taken to a joint security operations post, where he was held for several hours.
“The officer demanded garbage collection fees, but I explained that I had already paid weeks earlier and was waiting for a receipt,” he said. “I had gone to their offices several times and was told receipts were out of stock.”
He said the situation escalated after the council official summoned security personnel.
“They arrested me, handcuffed me and dragged me to a military cell,” Dr Nyang said. “I was detained for about six hours, sitting on the floor, without any investigation. They also ordered me to pay an additional three months of garbage fees.”
Dr Nyang, who is also an assistant lecturer at Upper Nile University, said he was released after another JCC officer intervened — the same officer who he says had collected his earlier payments.
According to Dr Nyang, he was later asked to report to the council offices, where officials apologised and said the confusion arose after the officer who had collected fees for October, November and December was transferred to another location.
However, he said his request for a refund was rejected.
“They told me the money was already in the system and that the extra payment should cover the next three months up to March 2026,” he said, adding that the total amount paid was 180,000 South Sudanese pounds.
Dr Nyang has called for an investigation, describing the incident as part of a wider pattern of misconduct.
“These incidents are widespread and amount to gross abuse,” he said. “I want this investigated so that justice is delivered and no one else becomes a victim. When I tried to open a case, I was threatened that pursuing legal action could cost me my life.”
For his part, Charles Lokayo, an officer with the Juba City Council, acknowledged the incident and said it was a mistake.
“What happened was an error by our officer, who ordered the arrest before proper consultation,” Mr Lokayo said. “Dr Nyang had cleared his obligations but was not issued a receipt because we had run out of them.”
He said he had informed colleagues about the case before his transfer and apologised for what he described as an unintentional incident.
“I intervened after learning what had happened, and the issue has since been resolved,” he said.