The Socialist Workers League (SWL) has called for the immediate and unconditional release of Comrade Abiodun Olamide Thomas, also known as “Horlarmidey Africano.” Thomas, a female activist and member of SWL and the Take It Back (TIB) movement, was reportedly arrested for criticizing police misconduct.
In a strongly worded statement signed by its National Chairperson, Kunle Ajayi, and National Secretary, Amara Nwosu, the SWL condemned the arrest, describing it as an “abduction” carried out by officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) at her residence in Bariga, Lagos, in the early hours of Friday. The statement emphasized that Thomas is a vocal defender of workers’ rights and has often faced threats and intimidation from the police due to her activism.
The SWL revealed that Thomas had been in hiding for a month after learning she was a person of interest to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) because of her outspoken criticism of police brutality and corruption. “The Nigeria Police Force, far from being an institution committed to preventing crime or protecting lives and property, is primarily a tool of state repression used to maintain the status quo and silence dissent,” the group stated.
The SWL highlighted the disturbing pattern of police misconduct, noting the frequent cases of brutality and arbitrary arrests. The group detailed how Thomas was located through deceptive means. Her uncle was reportedly detained under false pretenses and coerced into leading officers to her home. Similarly, a previous attempt to arrest her involved the infiltration of a WhatsApp group and the detention of one of her colleagues, who, fortunately, did not know her address.
The SWL decried these “Gestapo-like” tactics and demanded Thomas’s immediate release. “We urge all organizations representing working-class people to join us in calling for her freedom. An injury to one is an injury to all,” the statement concluded.
Chronicles Reporters earlier reported that Thomas had voiced concerns about her safety on November 8, accusing Force Public Relations Officer ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi of targeting her. On Friday, sources confirmed her arrest, explaining that the police first detained her brother on Thursday to track her location. She was subsequently apprehended at her home and taken to Alade Police Station before being transferred to the State Command in Ikeja.
One source disclosed that Thomas’s daughter managed to send a distress message to the Take-It-Back Movement (TIB) loop before her mother’s phone was confiscated. After securing Thomas, the police released her brother.
Thomas had previously stated that her activism during the #EndSARS memorial on October 20, 2024, might have provoked her arrest. She alleged that during the protest, she was brutalized, her money stolen, and her phone destroyed while in police custody.
“I have always criticized police brutality and exposed lies in press statements by Muyiwa Adejobi. It appears he has been waiting for an opportunity to arrest me,” she said. Thomas also accused Adejobi of deploying officers from the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) to track her. According to her, Adejobi had claimed she had been bullying him and others on social media and must answer for her actions.
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