Comedian Mr Macaroni arrested by Police at #OccupyLekkitollgate protest

 Nigerian comedian Debo Adebayo, popularly known as Mr Macaroni, has been arrested by personnel of the Nigerian Police Force at the on-going #OccupyLekkitollgate protest in Lagos.

The comedian joined other protesters at the tollgate to express his dissatisfaction with the decision of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry allowing the Lekki Concession Company to reopen the Lekki tollgate on Saturday.

Adebayo was arrested after the police told him, “we don’t want you here”.

Adebayo was seen detained in a Black Maria in a live video on his Instagram page. A Black Maria is a police vehicle for transporting prisoners.

The comedian was arrested alongside other protesters in the early hours of Saturday and his live streaming from the Lekki tollgate was stopped as police officers snatched his phone away from him.

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In a Live Instagram  before his phone and those of other arrested protesters were seized, the comedian lamented that “Lekki is  under military rule.”

He said, “How did you think the reopening of tollgate is the next line of action? If you didn’t do that today, we won’t have a right to be here.

“It is a disrespect to say that you want to reopen at this tollgate. Are you spitting on the graves of the dead?

“Na military regime we dey?  We also have a right to be heard. We have a right to protest peacefully.”

Another protester, Joseph Seye, said, “I am an artist. I am not a criminal. I came here to protest. It is my right. It is not a crime to protest. Why are the government treating youths this way?”

Some Nigerian youths have scheduled a new protest tagged #OcuupyLekkiTollgate for Saturday over the handover of the Lekki toll gate, where Nigerian forces opened fire on unarmed protesters last October, to its owners Lekki Concession Company.

Members of the judicial panel set up by the Lagos State government to investigate the October 2020 Lekki shooting voted 5-4 in favor of the handover on Saturday.

The youth, however, kicked against this decision by the Judicial panel to hand over the toll gate back to LCC for repairs and to begin operations without granting justice to the victims of the October 20 incidents.

The Nigerian Government and police has said they would not tolerate another #Endsars protest in the country.

Nigeria’s minister of information Lai Mohammed at a press conference on Thursday said the government “strongly warn those who are planning to re-occupy Lekki Toll Gate on Saturday to desist.”

Some Nigerian youths have scheduled a new protest tagged #OcuupyLekkiTollgate for Saturday over the handover of the Lekki toll gate, where Nigerian forces opened fire on unarmed protesters last October, to its owners Lekki Concession Company.

Members of the judicial panel set up by the Lagos State government to investigate the October 2020 Lekki shooting voted 5-4 in favor of the handover on Saturday.

The youth, however, kicked against this decision by the Judicial panel to hand over the toll gate back to LCC for repairs and to begin operations without granting justice to the victims of the October 20 incidents.