The police in Lagos State have transferred detained nurse and activist Olamide Thomas to Abuja following her arrest for her remarks cursing the children of President Bola Tinubu and Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun 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.
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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.
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Our reporter gathered that she was handed over to the cybercrime unit of the Federal Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Abuja, but none of the police spokespersons at various levels confirmed it.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, a superintendent of police, neither confirmed nor denied the development when contacted on phone by our correspondent on Saturday.
Similarly, the spokesperson for the FCID, Funmi Eguaoje, said she had no information about the case.
“I’ll let you know when I have the details,” she told PREMIUM TIMES.
Olumuyiwa Adejobi, an Assistant Commissioner of Police and the Force Public Relations Officer, could not be reached for comments.
However, Ms Thomas’ associates, who spoke with our reporter over the phone Saturday night, confirmed the development.
“She has been transferred to the Police Cybercrime Centre under the FCID () in Abuja,” Netufo Tomide, an activist and one of Ms Thomaa’ associates, told PREMIUM TIMES.
Another activist in her circle, Folayemi Akinfolarin, told our reporter that Ms Thomas called her on the phone confirming her arrival in Abuja on Saturday in company with the police.
“I received a call from her informing me that they just landed in Abuja now,” Ms Akinfolarin said.
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 the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa 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.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that Ms Thomas, an activist, was arrested at dawn in Shomolu Lagos State on Friday by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) , a special tactical squad that works under the Inspector General of Police.
The police were said to have tracked her to her home through her uncle who was arrested and detained earlier on Thursday.
Ms Thomas was thereafter taken to Panti police station in Lagos and the Lagos State Police Command headquarters in Ikeja.
Her alleged offences are still not clear.
Earlier in November, her Facebook friend Lanre Shotunde was arrested and detained by the police in a bid to get to her.
The IRT team arrested Mr Shotunde in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on 6 November and took him to the Sango Ota Police Station on the same day. He was released on the night of 7 November.
The Socialist Workers League (SWL), which she belongs to, “vehemently condemned” what it described as “the abduction of nurse Olamide by officers of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) from her home.”
The group shared on Saturday more insights into how the police arrested her.
READ ALSO: #EndSARS: Police arrest activist over her cuss words against Tinubu, Egbetokun
#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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