By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
Olamide Thomas, a nurse and activist, has reportedly collapsed while in police custody after being detained for criticizing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. She was arrested on December 13, 2024, following a live-streamed video where she expressed harsh criticism of Tinubu, the Inspector-General of Police, and other officials, blaming them for the 2020 #EndSARS incident.
Thomas, who suffers from asthma and peptic ulcer disease, had been in poor health since her detention. According to her lawyer, Ernest Okpaga, despite alerting the police to Thomas’s worsening condition, they ignored her needs until she collapsed on December 19. “She had been bleeding since Monday, and despite notifying officers at the Nigeria Police Force Cyber-Crime Centre (NCCC) about her condition, they ignored her until she collapsed on Thursday,” Okpaga stated. Thomas was then transferred to the Muhammadu Buhari Police Hospital in Garki, Abuja, for urgent treatment.
Her arrest followed a controversial Facebook video where she invoked curses against the president and police officials. This arrest and her subsequent collapse highlight the mounting concerns over freedom of speech and human rights in the country.
It is deeply troubling to see how a citizen’s health could be disregarded by authorities simply because they voiced dissent. The fact that Olamide Thomas had to suffer before any action was taken speaks volumes about the state of our justice system. Activism and the ability to criticize government officials should be a fundamental right, not a reason for imprisonment or harm. Let’s hope her case draws more attention to the urgent need for reforms in the treatment of activists in Nigeria.
