Lekki Toll Gate protest: We were stripped naked, Comedian Macaroni Says

Comedian, Debo Adebayo, who is better known as Mr. Macaroni, yesterday, lampooned the police for the treatment meted out to him and other protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate, claiming that they were stripped naked.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command, yesterday, condemned the molestation of some arrested #EndSARS protesters.

Macaroni and several others were, on Saturday, arrested by the police for protesting against the decision of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry to reopen the toll gate, which was symbolic of last October’s #EndSARS protests. They, were, however, granted bail.

In a video posted on his Twitter handle, he said: “When we were picked up, we were taken to Adeniji where we were beaten, we were stripped naked. Everyone was beaten.”

The comedian explained that he initially did not want to go for the protest as he had been warned by his family, but noted that he changed his mind because people will be at the Toll Gate.

He claimed that his phone was also destroyed after he was arrested by law enforcement agents.

He said: “The only reason I went there is that I knew people would be there and in good conscience, I don’t know.

“But I knew people would die and I saw it, and I can confirm it that if words did not get out, people would have died because nobody would have known where anybody was or who picked up whom.”

Also reacting, lawyer to Mr. Marcaroni, Mike Ozekhome said the arrest and humiliation of protesters at the weekend is actionable in law.

He, however, noted that he has not been briefed by his client to sue the police authority.

Ozekhome said: “The arrest of my client, Mr. Marcaroni and many other protesters at the Lekki tollgate at the weekend is unlawful and actionable in court. My client has not briefed me on whether he wants to institute any suit against the police, but I know for a fact that his unlawful arrest is a breach of his right which is guaranteed by the constitution.”

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu, who was piqued by this unprofessional and inhuman act, has ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Police, State CID, Panti, DCP Adegoke Fayoade, to analyse the video and bring to book whoever that must have been responsible for the act.

A video has been circulating in the social media showing the molestation of some arrested protesters in a bus after their arrests at Lekki Tollgate Admiralty Plaza.

Odumosu stated that as much as the command is resolute in enforcing all laws in the state, it will not deviate from the Standard Operating Procedure of the Nigeria Police Force and provisions of the law in discharging its duties.

He vowed to fish out those responsible for the molestation and ensure they are punished for their unprofessional conduct.