The Lagos State Police Command has refuted claims circulating on social media that men, women, and a young child were detained together in a single cell at the Maroko Police Station, located in the Lekki area of Lagos State.
In a viral video shared on Monday by a social media user identified as Oyindamola, tweeting under the handle #dammiedammie35 on X.com, a woman who introduced herself as “real omo” recounted her experience. She alleged that police officers detained her, along with other women and some men, in the same cell.
A voice in the video expressed concern, stating, “(Men and) women are together in the cell. See small pikin [sic] with children. We don’t know what to do. You people should come to our aid, we are at the Maroko Police Station. We need help right now.”
According to the woman, they were apprehended by security personnel while walking in an unspecified area in Lekki.
“Yesterday night, they picked us, they arrested us. They said we could not walk because they were raiding. How am I supposed to know they were raiding in Lekki? I’m a victim, please, this is real omo. They said I’m going to prison, for walking in the night? This is too much for me to bear. Does this make sense?” she questioned.
The video also revealed an open roof in the confinement area, with some parts of the wall showing signs of damage.
In response to the allegations, the Lagos State Police Command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, took to social media to clarify the situation. In a tweet posted on Monday, Hundeyin dismissed the claims, explaining that the individuals were placed in a holding area visible to officers on duty.
“That is a holding area, where they are visible to officers on duty at the charge room (counter). Once they move into the cell proper, they are properly separated and they would not even have their phones with them,” Hundeyin wrote.
To support his statement, Hundeyin shared an accompanying video in which five males and five females were seen standing against a wall. In the video, an officer explained that the individuals in question had not been formally placed in cells but were temporarily held in an open area.
“This is an open cell. These are children roaming around the streets, that ran away from their houses. The residents of Lekki brought them to the station, and most of them, their parents have come to take them over [sic],” the officer said, adding that they were only kept in an open cell at the back of the charge room.
The officer further explained that the individuals had chosen to stay along the passage leading to the male and female cells while awaiting further action.
The Lagos State Police Command has reiterated that detainees are always separated once moved into cells and denied any improper handling of individuals in custody.
