Police arrest Mr Macaroni at Lekki tollgate, seize protesters phones

Police have arrested popular comedian Debo Adebayo, also known as Mr Macaroni, at the Lekki toll gate.

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”.

In a live Instagram post 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?”

The PUNCH reports that no fewer than 23 protesters have been arrested during the ongoing protest at the Lekki toll gate on Saturday.

The Federal Government and the police had earlier warned youths who planned to protest at the Lekki tollgate on Saturday (today) to have a rethink and shelve the protests.

But the young Nigerians, under the aegis of #EndSARS Season 2 and #OccupyLekkiTollgate, vowed to defy the government’s order.

The other group, #DefendLagos withdrew from the protest, noting that it was in accordance with the government’s directives that no protest should hold.

The #EndSARS Season 2 and #OccupyLekkiTollgate said their action was informed by the decision of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry allowing the Lekki Concession Company to reopen the Lekki tollgate.