The lawyer Inibehe Effiong has accused personnel from the Lagos State Police Command of detaining and arresting Okpe Kingsley Adegwu, a comedian and content producer, for carrying a banner that read, “NIGERIANS SUFFERING IS TOO MUCH.” “TINUBU, GET READY.”
In a statement posted on his X Twitter, Inibehe said that Adegwu was taken into custody at the Lagos Police Command Headquarters, CP Special Squad 1, on Sunday afternoon, July 28, while he was strolling through the state’s Ikate region. According to him, Adegwu will be held by the police till the end of the August 1 nationwide demonstration.
He wrote:
PROTEST: ILLEGAL ARREST ALERT
We have been alerted that one Mr. Okpe Kingsley Adegwu, a comedian and an online content creator, was arrested on Sunday afternoon (28th July 2024) at Ikate, Elegushi gate by the police.
He was arrested while walking and carrying a placard with the inscription: “NIGERIANS SUFFERING IS TOO MUCH. TINUBU DO SOMETHING”. He has been in the custody of the Lagos Police Command Headquarters, CP Special Squad 1, since Sunday.
This information is reaching us less than 24 hours after the Inspector General of Police declared categorically during our meeting with him on Tuesday that no peaceful protester has been arrested by the police in the country.
The IGP said any report to the contrary was “fake news”. We are calling on the police authorities to immediately release Okpe Adegwu. We have been told that the police is planning to detain him till the end of the nationwide protest.
This is unacceptable and illegal. A member of our team of pro bono lawyers is currently at the Lagos State Police Command in respect of this case.
