Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have reportedly arrested a popular Nigerian TikToker, Seaking, for criticizing President Bola Tinubu, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
Seaking was arrested on Saturday shortly after he made a video where he criticized President Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu, and Egbetokun.
The TikToker had made a video where he referenced a statement by Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, who described insulting people online as a criminal offence.
SaharaReporters had reported that Adejobi said that hurling insults at someone online is not merely a form of criticism or freedom of expression, but rather an act of cyberbullying, which it described as a criminal offence.
The Force spokesperson said this in the wake of a recent case involving a viral post by activist Olamide Abiodun Thomas.
Thomas, who was protesting the police’s use of tear gas during the fourth anniversary of the #EndSARS protests in Abuja, recorded a video following which she was accused of insulting the President’s son, Seyi Tinubu, as well as Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun and police spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi.
Reacting to Adejobi’s statement, Seaking made a video where he expressed outrage at the statement, questioning why the police would prioritize cracking down on critics instead of pursuing criminals.
In a video making the rounds on social media, Seaking was shown being questioned by some security officers at a yet-to-be-identified location.
Reacting to Seaking’s arrest report, human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, who had challenged Adejobi to provide constitutional provisions to justify that hurling insults at someone online is a crime, condemned the action of the police.
Calling for information on his whereabouts, Inibehe said, “Anyone with useful information about his family or the police station he was taken to should kindly contact me.”
