Olamide Thomas, the nurse and activist arrested over her social media remarks against President Bola Tinubu, is receiving medical treatment at the Muhammadu Buhari Police Hospital, Garki, Abuja, after slumping in custody, her lawyer, Ernest Okpaga, told PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday.
The lawyer said Ms Thomas “suffers from asthma and peptic ulcer,” adding that she had been bleeding since Monday.”
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Mr Okpaga told our correspondent that despite Ms Thomas’ several complaints concerning her conditions, the police officers at the Nigeria Police Force Cyber-Crime Centre (NCCC) in Abuja, where she is detained, refused to provide her medical care until she slumped on Thursday.
Ms Thomas, who was arrested by the police at dawn at home in Shomolu, Lagos, last Friday, was flown to Abuja and handed over to the NCCC on Saturday.
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Mr Okpaga said she finished writing a statement shortly before slumping in an interrogation room of the NCCC on Thursday.
The lawyer, who said he was with Ms Thomas on Thursday, recalled that he left the interrogation room after she finished writing her statement.
However, he said he had barely got to the gate of the NCCC premises when he heard officers shouting his name to come back.
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“I came back and enquired what the issue was. I was told that Thomas Abiodun had collapsed shortly after making her statement,” he said.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi did not respond to enquiries over the development on Thursday. Mr Adejobi has not responded to any of our reporter’s enquiries since the arrest and detention of Ms Thomas.
Arrest
The police had arrested Ms Thomas last Friday for her remarks cursing the children of President Tinubu, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, and the Force PRO, Mr Adejobi, in a live Facebook video.
She live-streamed the video on her Facebook page on 20 October, shortly after she was reportedly brutalised by police officers during the #EndSARS memorial procession at the Lekki Tollgate.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that Ms Thomas, who was arrested at home in Shomolu, Lagos State, at dawn on Friday, was denied administrative bail at Panti Police Station, Yaba, Lagos.
She was flown to Abuja on Saturday, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.
Our reporter gathered that upon arrival in Abuja, she was handed over to the cybercrime unit of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), and was later transferred to the NPF NCCC, where she slumped on Thursday.
In the video that led to her arrest, she expressed deep grievances, invoking divine power and issuing severe condemnations directed at Mr Tinubu, Mr Egbetokun, and Mr Adejobi. Made in her moment of pain and sense of injustice by the police, her remarks included curses foretelling loss and tragedy against them.
The distressed activist was seen in the video pleading with bystanders to pour water on her head, seemingly after inhaling teargas.
Lawyer Okpaga narrates ordeal
Mr Okpaga said police officers refused to give her client medical care despite her complaints of bleeding since Monday.
He added that the police also denied him and Ms Thomas’ family members access to her.
He further said he urged the police to take the detainee to the hospital for emergency medical attention to no avail.
He said, after she slumped on Thursday, the police officers opted to lock him up together with Ms Thomas in the interrogation room instead of rushing her to the hospital.
“I attempted resisting them from dragging me to lock me up as ordered by the Assistant Director Admin in NCCC and I was assaulted and beaten by the police officers,” he added.
Mr Okpaga said the officers later rushed her client to the hospital at Area 11 Garki Abuja, “where she is currently admitted and receiving medical treatment.”
#EndSARS memorial
On 20 October, police reportedly arrested about 23 activists who had gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the #EndSARS protest. Officers initially dispersed the crowd using teargas before detaining the activists and transporting them in a Black Maria to Panti Police Station in Yaba, where they were held.
The date marks the tragic events of 20 October 2020, when Nigerian security forces, particularly the Army, opened fire on peaceful protesters at the tollgate, which had become the epicentre of the dayslong #EndSARS movement against police brutality. Many were injured or killed during the incident.
Since then, 20 October has been observed by Nigerians to honour the victims and reflect on the struggle against police highhandedness and systemic governance issues. However, the police have consistently blocked #EndSARS memorial gatherings at the site each year.
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