Gbenro Adesina
Popular comedian and activist, Debo Adebayo, popularly known as Mr Macaroni, was arrested, alongside several other protesters, at the Lekki Toll Gate on Saturday February 13, 2021.
The comedian had joined other protesters at the toll gate to oppose the decision of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry to reopen the facility and hand it over to the Lekki Concession Company
“Na military regime?” Mr. Macaroni said after his arrest, on an Instagram Live while in a police van. “If na military, make we know sey na military, so make everybody dey hide.”
His phone and that of other protesters were later seized by the police, ending his Instagram Live session.
Later on Saturday, a video clip surfaced on social media, of Mr. Macaroni half-naked and sweating in a bus choked with other arrested protesters.
The Federal Government on Thursday had warned against violence in the planned protest, going further to urge the organizers to cancel their demonstration.
“At this time, the chances that any peaceful protest will be hijacked are very high. Any resort to violence in the name of #EndSARS will not be tolerated this time,” the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed said.
But there is no evidence that the protesters arrested on Saturday were violent.
Reacting to the arrest, a popular Nigerian rapper Folarin Falana, also known by his stage name Falz, described the arrest of the #OccupyLekkiTollgate protesters in Lagos as shameful.
Falz, who is the son of Senior human rights lawyer Femi Falana accused the federal government of not desiring peace.
In a tweet on Saturday, Falz said the Nigerian government has shown that “they don’t want peace”.
“What is this shameful behaviour? Are these people insane? Citizens are peacefully protesting and you are arresting (them).
“How is this supposed to solve the problems that they have already caused?
“Macaroni has been picked up, the Nigerian government basically saying they do not want peace oh. I am tired of just coping. I am tired of just managing. This is a fu*king shithole we are living in and we simply cannot continue like this.
“They are using this threat of force and violence because they expect that we would naturally fear for our lives, but the life we dey live no kuku get meaning before.”
No fewer than 30 protesters were arrested during the protest at the Lekki toll gate on Saturday.
At the time of filing this report, it was gathered that Mr Macaroni and 39 others have been granted bail.
“The Protesters arrested have all been granted bail including Mr Macaroni,” Moe Odele, an #EndSARS lawyer said on Twitter.
She added that all the protesters were charged by the police for breaking COVID-19 gathering limits and disobeying an order not to protest.
They all pleaded ”not guilty”, she said. “One of them is injured and will get medical attention.”
