Lawyer fumes as Police re-arrest TikToker Seaking in court

By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

A popular TikToker, Olumide Ogunsanwo alias Seaking was rearrested by the police and flown to Abuja after he appeared before a Magistrate Court on Thursday, his lawyer, Inibehe Effiong has said.

Seaking arrested by the police on 20th December, 2024 after he posted a video calling on Nigerians to beat up any police officer who harassed them on his TikTok account.

He was subsequently arraigned before the Magistrate Court sitting in Ogba Lagos on 23rd December, 2024 for remand.

However, the bid by the police to get to court order to remand him for 30 days failed as a result of opposition by his lawyer.

The court refused the application and Seaking was allowed to go home.

The Magistrate also and ordered the police to forward a duplicate copy of Seaking’s case file to the DPP for legal advice.

The matter was then adjourned to 16th January, 2025 for report of the DPP Advice.

But according to his lawyer, though Seaking was in court 16th January, 2025, there was no representation for the prosecution.

The court further adjourned the proceedings to today, 6th February, 2025 in respect of the remand proceedings instituted by the Police.

According to the lawyer, police prosecutor appeared in court and pleaded for adjournment to enable them file proof of compliance with the order of the court.

He said the Magistrate granted the application and gave the police seven days to file proof of compliance.

The case was then adjourned to the 25th day of March, 2025 for report of compliance.

However, the lawyer lamented that his client was rearrested and taken to Lagos State Police Command headquarters in Ikeja inside the court premises.

Seaking, he add added, was later flown to Abuja.

“After the day’s proceedings, Seaking was rearrested within the court premises and taken to the State Police Command, Ikeja before he was subsequently taken to the Murtala Muhammad Airport from where he is being flown to Abuja.

“It is utterly condemnable that the same Nigeria Police Force that initiated an ongoing legal proceedings in Lagos would brazenly rearrest our client who is on bail granted by the court and move him to Abuja.

“We call on the Inspector General of Police to put an end to this outrageous charade and egregious abuse of the legal process and order the immediate release of Seaking.

“The fact that the Nigeria Police Force that is supposed to be Nigeria’s primary law enforcement agency is actively leading the assault on the rule of law is evidence of the alarming state of impunity and lawlessness in the country,” Effiong said in a statement published on his X handle.