Video: Comedian accuses police of assault
Abdullateef Fowewe
Comedian Makanju has alleged that police officers in Lagos have engaged in extortion and assault. He claims to have experienced multiple instances of assault by certain members of the Lagos Police Command at checkpoints in the Sangotedo area of Lekki-Ajah.
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Makanju stated that the troubles began on Saturday night when he, along with his cameraman and a friend, were halted at a checkpoint while driving back from ShopRite in Sangotedo.
“The officers asked us to unlock the vehicle, which we did. But from the very moment we did, it felt less like a stop-and-search and more like a planned attack,” Makanju recounted.
He alleged the officers physically assaulted them, confiscated their phones, forced them to withdraw money, and threatened their lives.
After reporting the incident to his lawyer, who contacted the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the station involved, Makanju learned “this is not even the first case he has handled from this same checkpoint where our ordeal happened. That alone shows how common and unchecked this brutality is,” he said.
The following day, while documenting the initial assault on video, Makanju faced another attack at a different checkpoint.
Sharing the update on his Instagram handle, he wrote, “On our way afterwards, we were recording videos to document what happened. Then we encountered another checkpoint and once again, the police descended on me. They beat me up simply because I was making videos.
“Is it a crime in Nigeria to record police officers while they are on duty? Since when did documenting the truth become an offence? Why should I, a law-abiding citizen, be treated like a criminal for holding those in power accountable?
“I was humiliated, assaulted, and made to feel like I had no rights. This is nothing short of police brutality, and it must stop. No Nigerian should have to live in fear of the very people who are supposed to protect them.
“We demand justice, accountability, and an end to these abuses.”
