Mr Macaroni, Others Arraigned, Granted Bail

Popular comedian, Debo Adebayo, also known as Mr. Macaroni, and 39 others have been granted bail by a Mobile Court before which they were arraigned for showing up for #occupyLekkitollgate protest.

The defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them by the police.

An24.net had earlier reported that more than 30 protesters were arrested at the Lekki Lekki Tollgate.

Notable Nigerians had condemned the police treatment of the protesters.

A member of the Lagos Judicial Panel on police brutality, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa,SAN had in a statement said he was considering quitting the panel just as he condemned the police for mishandling of the protesters.

“I have been monitoring events at the Lekki Toll Gate since morning, and I am totally overwhelmed with the images, videos and sundry evidence of police brutality of armless civilians, who ventured to protest at the Toll Gate. In one particular video, I saw citizens of Nigeria being dehumanized, striped half naked and cramped together in a rickety bus. This is totally unacceptable,” he said.

Similarly, a civil society organisation, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, had called for the unconditional release of the protesters failing which it would drag the Nigerian authorities to court.

SERAP said in a string of tweets: “We urge Nigerian authorities and the Nigeria Police Force to immediately and unconditionally release #EndSARS protesters detained simply for peacefully exercising their human rights. Authorities should also cease harassing people peacefully exercising their human rights.

“The United Nations and concerned governments should press the Nigerian authorities to end the crackdown on peaceful protesters, and unconditionally release those arbitrarily detained.

“We’ll pursue appropriate legal actions if the #EndSARS protesters arbitrarily arrested simply for peacefully exercising their human rights are not immediately and unconditionally released. Peaceful assembly is a fundamental right.”