Nigerian comedian Mr Macaroni recounts chilling torture experience

“One said if not that people would ask about me, he would have killed me,” Debo Adebayo, a Nigerian online comedian popularly called Mr Macaroni, said about his experience at the hands of policemen.

He was arrested along with protesters that vowed to stage a protest on 13 February 2021 in response to the Lekki Tollgate reopening on the order of the Judicial Panel. The Lagos Judicial Panel had approved the reopening of the Lekki Tollgate after months of investigating the 20 October 2020 shooting despite not giving the masses a favourable judgment.

Heavily armed policemen reportedly arrested about 18 protesters around 9:30 am on that Saturday before they even began any demonstration. Hours later, a video surfaced on Twitter showing the arrested protesters cramped into a small vehicle with evidence of beatings.

Just look at how they are treating Mr Macaroni like hardened criminal just because he protested peacefully.pic.twitter.com/hDMX9gBhyQ

— Premier (@SodiqTade) February 13, 2021

Now, two months after the incident, Adebayo gives an account of what he experienced that day. “When I was at Adeniji police station, the police officers took turns to beat me up. They were even calling themselves to come and beat ‘Mr Macaroni’. They said in my life when next I hear police, I will run!,” the comedian tweeted.

His revelation concerning the Nigerian police brutality came after a Twitter user called on him to use his ‘large audience’ to promote institutions in the country. Initially, Macaroni had replied with the rhetoric, “I should promote the same police institution that oppresses Nigerians?”

I should promote the same police institution that oppresses Nigerians? Majority of your officers are just there to steal, rob, harass, brutalize and oppress the people. We see it happen everyday. You swore an oath to protect. Yet you kill and destroy. Zero conscience! https://t.co/7heB8UPKZw

— DeboMacaroni (@mrmacaronii) April 18, 2021

Mr Macaroni further comments that the Nigerian police themselves are not doing anything to improve their image. “Everyday, there is always one Negative report or the other about the Nigerian Police, [sic]” he tweets. “The Police have turned themselves to criminals. Robbing us, oppressing us and doing everything in their power to make life miserable for the Average Nigerian.”

He later tweeted that since the day he suffered at the hands of the law enforcers, he had sworn to use his platform to ‘call out [their] evil’ instead. “If they can do that to someone people know, imagine what they do to hundreds of thousands of unknown Nigerians,” Debo Adebayo said via a tweet.

Conversations about the Nigerian Police and their reputation has been a recurring theme for many years, but the #EndSARS protest had beaned a global flashlight on it. Since then, the voices speaking out against it has gone from regular citizens to celebrities.

A viral video showing an alleged cross-country Spanish rider’s encounter with the Nigerian police recently brought the discussion back on the trend table. In the clip, a policeman appears to be asking for money from the rider. 

When we say the Police needs a reform, here's just one of the reasons why. Embarrassing display pic.twitter.com/WA6QcU5ZiQ

— Dr. Chinonso Egemba (@aproko_doctor) April 17, 2021

Mr Macaroni also commented on the video criticising the law enforcers. “Since our childhood days till now, This has been the reputation of the Nigerian Police. All they care about is to collect money from you [sic],” he wrote. “It doesn’t matter whether you are a [law-abiding] citizen or you are a terrorist! Just give them money!!”

According to people who know him well, Debo Adebayo was at loggerheads with oppressive authorities in different universities he attended. Redeemers University, his third higher institution, allegedly expelled over a Facebook post which they claimed cast the school in a bad light. However, he dragged the university to court, won, and eventually graduated in 2018.

Born to a journalist father, and a mother who was an educationist, Adebayo has made a name for himself as a skit maker. He is making his major acting debut on “Lugard” — a Nollywood film directed by Tunde Olaoye and written by Laduba Quadri Qidad and Segun Akejeje. The film is expected to hit cinemas in August 2021.