Michael AndeyinOlamide Thomas, a protester whom the police arrested at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos on Sunday, has claimed the policemen beat and brutalised her.
Reacting to a cryptic message Benjamin Hundeyin, the Lagos Police spokesman, shared on X on Monday morning, Thomas said the police did not torture her and others in the cell but harassed them during the arrest.
She earlier told Daily Trust that she had N25,000 on her during the arrest, but the police only returned N9,500 to her upon release.
Hundeyin quoted this report and invited Inibehe Effiong, the lawyer who represented the protesters, to comment on the matter.
READ MORE: Lagos Police Can’t Justify Arrest, Release EndSARS Memorial Protesters
Thomas responded, “I’m the victim. After brutalising and arresting me, they collected my purse, and by the time they returned it, I found out the money there was N9,500 instead of N25,000, and I raised the alarm. I was even telling them to stop roughhandling me because I am a female.
“They said they would teach me a lesson for joining the protest. They were watching our procession on Sahara Reporters’ Facebook Live, and showed me a video of where I was holding the banner. They said I should be at home cooking as a female and not on the streets.
“One of the police officers gave me terrible slaps five times. They even beat one of our male comrades and stripped him naked.”
FIJ called Hundeyin for comments, but he was in a meeting and unavailable to respond at press time.
On Sunday, protesters gathered at the tollgate to mark four years since the October 20, 2020, shooting of #EndSARS protesters after Nigerians marched around the country to protest against police brutality.
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