BREAKING: Detained Activist Olamide Thomas Collapses In Nigerian Police Custody After Being Denied Medical Attention

The detained female human rights activist, Olamide Thomas, collapsed at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Abuja due to health complications.

SaharaReporters gathered that Olamide, who suffers from asthma and peptic ulcer, had been bleeding since Monday.

However, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) in charge of her case and an Assistant Director at the FCID allegedly ignored her complaints.

Speaking to SaharaReporters on Thursday, Olamide’s lawyer, Barr. Ernest Chukwuemeka Okpaga, expressed frustration over the situation.

He explained that the Nigerian police refused to provide her with medical attention even after they were informed that she had collapsed.

He said they kept denying him and her relatives access to see her.

The lawyer also alleged that the Assistant Director of Administration at the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) National Cybercrime Centre (NCCC) ordered officers to detain him and Olamide Thomas, in the interrogation room.

Okpaga said, “I accompanied Thomas Abiodun to make her statement today at the NPF NCCC. Thomas Abiodun previously have been complaining of a medical condition that she is bleeding, that is asmatic and an Ulcer patient, but the police refused to attend to her medically, they kept denying me and Thomas Abiodun’s relatives access to see her.

“After Thomas Abiodun finished making her statement today in my presence, I left, on getting to the entrance of the police building, some officers shouted my name that I should come back.

“I came back and enquired what the issue was, I was told that Thomas Abiodun collapsed shortly after making her statement, I informed the police that they should take her to hospital for emergency medical attention and that previously while she was in custody that she had complained that she was sick but no medical care was given to her.”

According to Okpaga, “The Assistant Director Admin at NPF NCCC now ordered police officers to lock me up together with Thomas Abiodun at the interrogation room until Thomas Abiodun regains consciousness before I may be allowed to go. I attempted resisting them from dragging me to lock me up as ordered by the Assistant Director Admin in NCCC and I was assaulted and beaten by the police officers.”

“After my persistent resistance from being locked up, the assistant Director Admin now ordered that they should hurriedly take Thomas Abiodun along with myself to the police hospital.

“We were then brought to the police hospital at Area 11 Garki Abuja, where Thomas Abiodun is currently admitted and receiving medical treatment,” Okpaga added.

On Wednesday, Thomas cried out over alleged mistreatment during her detention at the FCID in Abuja.

Thomas revealed that she was experiencing internal bleeding but had been denied medical attention despite her repeated pleas.

“I am in severe pain, bleeding internally, yet the police officers here have refused to take me to a hospital,” Thomas said.

The activist also accused officers of harassment, claiming that they had been bullying and threatening her due to her outspoken criticism of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun and the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi.

She told SaharaReporters that after being ‘abducted’ last Friday in Lagos and taken to Abuja, the police had refused to allow her lawyers access to her.

After several hours, the lawyers were finally allowed in but were not informed about the investigating police officer (IPO) in charge of her case.

Also, on Wednesday, sources within the Nigeria Police Force revealed that Thomas was being detained at the express instruction of Egbetokun.

SaharaReporters gathered that the IGP had ordered her confinement at the FCID for an indefinite period, with no clear indication of when she would be released.

SaharaReporters reported on November 8, how she raised concerns about her safety, alleging that ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Force Police Public Relations Officer, was targeting her.

According to sources, the police first arrested her brother last Thursday and used him to track her to where she was abducted in Lagos and subsequently taken to Alade police station.

Meanwhile, police sources at the Force Criminal Investigation Department and the Cybercrime Centre told SaharaReporters that they detained Olamide at the pleasure of IGP Egbetokun, following his directive.

The police sources confirmed to SaharaReporters that they couldn’t find anything wrong with Olamide, but the IGP just wanted her to pay.

“The female activist (Olamide Thomas) detained at our facility was not detained because we found anything she did wrong, but because the IGP instructed us to detain her for as long as possible,” one of the sources said.