We’re Detaining Activist Olamide Thomas At The Pleasure Of Nigerian Police Boss, Egbetokun –Police Sources

Sources within the Nigeria Police Force have revealed that human rights activist Olamide Thomas, who was arrested in Lagos and moved to Abuja, is being detained at the express instruction of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun.

SaharaReporters gathered that the IGP has ordered her confinement at the Federal Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) for an indefinite period, with no clear indication of when she would be released.

SaharaReporters reported on November 8, how she raised concerns about her safety, alleging that ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Force Police Public Relations Officer, was targeting her.

SaharaReporters, however, gathered last Friday that she was "abducted" earlier that day in Lagos.

According to sources, the police first arrested her brother on Thursday and used him to track her to where she was abducted in Lagos and subsequently taken to Alade police station.

Meanwhile, police sources at the Force Criminal Investigation Department and the Cybercrime Centre told SaharaReporters that they detained Olamide at the pleasure of IGP Egbetokun, following his directive.

The police sources confirmed to SaharaReporters that they couldn't find anything wrong with Olamide, but the IGP just wanted her to pay.

"The female activist (Olamide Thomas) detained at our facility was not detained because we found anything she did wrong, but because the IGP instructed us to detain her for as long as possible," one of the sources said.

Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that Olamide Thomas had cried out over alleged mistreatment during her detention at the FCID in Abuja.

Olamide revealed that she was experiencing internal bleeding but had been denied medical attention despite her repeated pleas.

"I am in severe pain, bleeding internally, yet the police officers here have refused to take me to a hospital," Thomas said.

The activist also accused officers of harassment, claiming that they had been bullying and threatening her due to her outspoken criticism of the IGP and the Force PRO, Olumuyiwa Adejobi.

She told SaharaReporters that after being abducted from Lagos and taken to Abuja, the police initially refused to allow her lawyers access to her.

After several hours, the lawyers were finally allowed in but were not informed about the investigating police officer (IPO) in charge of her case.

"When the lawyers asked the officers on duty about the officer in charge of my case, all of them denied knowing the officer in charge. However, the lawyers were able to see me and buy food for me. It was only after they left that a female officer came and called me, saying that their assistant director was asking for me," she said.

"I went and met the assistant director with another officer there, and the lady who came to call me. They were all in his office, making three of them. They both started bombarding me with questions, and I told them that they should allow my lawyers to be present before they could interview me.

Olamide said the officer started yelling at her, saying she had been ‘blowing grammar’ (speaking eloquently) since she was arrested. They also said that she was claiming to know her rights.

She said, "They were raising their voices at me, saying I think I know my rights. I told them that they could not interview me in the absence of my lawyer. They said I had the guts to abuse the President and the IGP. The assistant director said I had the audacity to abuse his classmate, Muyiwa Adejobi.

"I told the assistant director that he could not demoralize me, sir. He threatened to deal with me for having the guts to speak while he was talking. He asked who I was, and I told him that I was Thomas Olamide. He raised his voice at me and said that I was rude.”

Olamide told SaharaReporters that the assistant director at Abuja FCID told her to walk out of his office after she told him that he should allow her lawyer to be present before he could interview her.

"My lawyers later came back after they went to get food for me to eat because I had not eaten since morning. It was evening by the time they allowed me to eat, despite the fact that the police had denied my lawyers access to me since morning.

"It was around 6 pm when I ate that day. After I finished eating, the female officer came back and told me to come write a statement. I told them I couldn't write any statement that day, even if they pointed a gun at my head. I told them I was not coordinated, I was shivering, and I had not been allowed to eat since morning."

She continued, "The officer went back and reported to the assistant director. It was then that he said they should call me with my lawyers. That was around 6:30 pm. So we both entered his office, and he started questioning me about what I said—that I wouldn't write a statement.

"I told him that since I had been asking who my IPO (Investigation Police Officer) was, none of the officers on duty responded. I told him I could not hold a pen to write a statement because I was stressed, disoriented, demoralized, and bleeding internally.”

Olamide said the assistant director accused her again of being rude.

She said the assistant director, without going to court, started accusing her of attempted murder and threatening the lives of the President, the IGP (Inspector General of Police) and Muyiwa Adejobi.

"I told him that I am not a hardened criminal and that I did not commit any criminal offences. Only those who have committed crimes would be coerced into being remorseful. He said I would soon regret my actions, and then he told us to leave,” she said.

Olamide told SaharaReporters that since they put her in a cell at the FCID, no officer had asked her to write a statement.

"I’ve been incarcerated in the FCID cell since they brought me from Lagos. Despite having health issues, they still called the officer in charge of my case to come and take me to the hospital for medical treatment, but they refused to come.

"I'm still bleeding up until now. If anything happens to me at this point, Muyiwa Adejobi and his gang should be held responsible," she said.