Lagos, Nigeria – In a shocking display of impunity, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force on Thursday rearrested popular TikToker Olumide Ogunsanwo, known as Seaking, within the premises of the Magistrate Court in Ogba, Lagos, and secretly flew him to Abuja.
Seaking, who has been facing legal proceedings since his initial arrest on December 20, 2024, was granted bail by the court on December 23 after police failed in their bid to secure a 30-day remand order. The court instead directed that the case file be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice, with the next hearing scheduled for January 16, 2025.
At the January hearing, the prosecution failed to appear, prompting another adjournment to February 6. When the case resumed on Thursday, a police prosecutor requested more time to provide proof of compliance with the court’s directives. The Magistrate granted the request and adjourned the matter to March 25.
However, shortly after the proceedings, police officers rearrested Seaking and took him to the Lagos State Police Command in Ikeja before transferring him to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, from where he was flown to Abuja under undisclosed circumstances.
Reacting to the development, human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong condemned the police action as a blatant disregard for the rule of law.
“It is utterly condemnable that the same Nigeria Police Force, which initiated legal proceedings in Lagos, would brazenly rearrest our client, who is on court-granted bail, and move him to Abuja,” Effiong said in a statement.
He called on the Inspector General of Police to immediately order Seaking’s release and end what he described as an “outrageous charade and egregious abuse of the legal process.”
The incident underscores growing concerns over lawlessness and the erosion of due process in Nigeria, with law enforcement agencies increasingly accused of violating judicial authority.
The Nigeria Police Force has yet to issue an official statement on the matter.