Lagos Police Accused of Arresting Content Creator Over Protest Placard– Lawyer Inibehe Effiong Speaks Out

Lagos Police Accused of Arresting Content Creator Over Protest Placard– Lawyer Inibehe Effiong Speaks Out

Lawyer Inibehe Effiong has raised serious allegations against the Lagos State Police Command, accusing them of unlawfully detaining comedian and content creator Okpe Kingsley Adegwu. Adegwu was reportedly arrested on Sunday afternoon, July 28, while carrying a placard that read: “NIGERIANS SUFFERING IS TOO MUCH. TINUBU DO SOMETHING.”

Effiong took to his X handle to denounce the arrest, claiming that Adegwu was apprehended in Ikate, Elegushi Gate, and has been held at the Lagos Police Command Headquarters, CP Special Squad 1, ever since. Effiong alleges that the police intend to keep Adegwu in custody until the nationwide protest scheduled to start on August 1 concludes.

In a statement titled “PROTEST: ILLEGAL ARREST ALERT,” Effiong criticized the timing of the arrest, noting that it came less than 24 hours after the Inspector General of Police assured that no peaceful protesters had been detained. The IGP had described any contrary reports as “fake news.”

Effiong’s statement read:

“We have been alerted that Mr. Okpe Kingsley Adegwu, a comedian and online content creator, was arrested on Sunday afternoon (28th July 2024) at Ikate, Elegushi Gate by the police. He was 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. We have been informed that the police plan to detain him until the end of the nationwide protest. This is unacceptable and illegal.”

Effiong has called for Adegwu’s immediate release, and a pro bono lawyer from Effiong’s team is currently at the Lagos State Police Command to address the situation.

Watch the video detailing the arrest below.