Nigerian activist and nurse Olamide Thomas, arrested for making critical remarks about President Bola Tinubu and Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun in a Facebook livestream, has been transferred from Lagos to Abuja by the police.
Thomas’s Facebook video, posted on October 20, followed her alleged assault by police during the #EndSARS memorial procession at Lekki Tollgate. In the video, she expressed deep grievances, invoking divine retribution and condemning Tinubu, Egbetokun, and Force Public Relations Officer Muyiwa Adejobi.
Thomas was apprehended at her home in Shomolu, Lagos, in the early hours of Friday. She was denied bail at Panti Police Station, Yaba, and flown to Abuja the following day. Reports indicate she is now in the custody of the Federal Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Cybercrime Unit, although police officials have not confirmed this.
Lagos Police PRO Benjamin Hundeyin did not verify the transfer, and FCID spokesperson Funmi Eguaoje stated she lacked details. Efforts to reach Force PRO Olumuyiwa Adejobi were unsuccessful. However, associates of Thomas confirmed her transfer to Abuja and a phone call from her confirming her arrival.
Thomas’s arrest was reportedly orchestrated by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), which tracked her location after detaining her uncle. She was initially taken to Panti Police Station and later the Lagos State Command headquarters in Ikeja. Her specific charges remain unclear.
This incident follows the earlier arrest of Thomas’s Facebook friend, Lanre Shotunde, in a bid to locate her. Shotunde was detained in Abeokuta on November 6 and released the following day.
The Socialist Workers League, which Thomas is affiliated with, condemned her arrest, calling it an “abduction” by the Nigerian Police Force.
#EndSARS Memorial Crackdown
Thomas was participating in the fourth-anniversary memorial of the #EndSARS movement on October 20 when she was reportedly brutalized. Police arrested 23 activists at the event, dispersing crowds with teargas and detaining participants at Panti Police Station.
The memorial commemorates the 2020 Lekki Tollgate shootings, where security forces opened fire on peaceful protesters. Observed annually to honor victims of police brutality, the event has faced repeated suppression by authorities.
Thomas’s arrest highlights ongoing tensions surrounding free speech and police accountability in Nigeria.
