Olamide Thomas, a nurse and activist, detained over her social media remarks against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is currently receiving treatment at the Muhammadu Buhari Police Hospital, Garki, Abuja, after collapsing in custody.
Her lawyer, Ernest Okpaga, disclosed this development to Premium Times on Thursday, citing that Thomas had been experiencing severe health challenges since her detention.
Okpaga revealed that his client suffers from asthma and peptic ulcer, conditions exacerbated by her time in custody.
He stated, “She had been bleeding since Monday, and despite her complaints about her health, officers at the Nigeria Police Force Cyber-Crime Centre (NCCC) ignored her until she slumped on Thursday.”
Thomas was arrested in the early hours of last Friday at her residence in Shomolu, Lagos, and subsequently flown to Abuja the following day.
Since her detention at the NCCC, her health has reportedly deteriorated, with no initial access to medical care.
Okpaga recounted the events leading up to Thomas’ hospitalisation. “She finished writing her statement in the interrogation room on Thursday, and I had just left the premises when I heard officers shouting my name to come back,” he said.
Upon returning, he found that Thomas had collapsed, prompting her transfer to the hospital for urgent medical attention.
“I came back and enquired what the issue was. I was told that Thomas Abiodun had collapsed shortly after making her statement,” he said.
The police had arrested Thomas last Friday for her remarks cursing the children of President Tinubu, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, and the Force PRO, Muyiwa Adejobi, in a live Facebook video.
She live-streamed the video on her Facebook page on 20 October, shortly after she was reportedly brutalised by police officers during the #EndSARS memorial procession at the Lekki Tollgate.
Thomas, who was arrested at home in Shomolu, Lagos State, at dawn on Friday, was denied administrative bail at Panti Police Station, Yaba, Lagos.
She was flown to Abuja on Saturday.
Upon arrival in Abuja, she was handed over to the cybercrime unit of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), and was later transferred to the NPF NCCC, where she slumped on Thursday.
In the video that led to her arrest, she expressed deep grievances, invoking divine power and issuing severe condemnations directed at Tinubu, Egbetokun, and Adejobi. Made in her moment of pain and sense of injustice by the police, her remarks included curses foretelling loss and tragedy against them.
The distressed activist was seen in the video pleading with bystanders to pour water on her head, seemingly after inhaling teargas.