Former Big Brother Naija housemate, Tuoyo Ideh, has shared his detailed account of what transpired during the NDLEA raid at Proxy Nightclub, Victoria Island, Lagos, an incident that led to his arrest alongside over 100 other guests in the early hours of Sunday, October 26.
In a video posted on his Instagram page on Monday, Tuoyo said he had gone to the club as a promoter after helping clients book a table when NDLEA operatives and military officers stormed the venue.
“I had barely sat down for 30 minutes when I just heard, ‘Everybody go down!’” Tuoyo recounted. “I tried to look up and I saw people that wore black, and I saw military personnel. Then after some time, they stood us up, checked me, checked my bag, checked every single thing from me, and they checked my socks, checked everything. They didn’t find anything at all.”
He explained that despite being cleared, he was taken into custody with other guests and moved to the NDLEA office in Ikoyi. According to him, the officers refused to let anyone leave even after confirming they had nothing illegal.
Tuoyo said he decided to post on social media to alert people about his arrest so people would know what was happening and not think he was making things up.
“I posted on my social media platform, and I’m like, I have been arrested by the NDLEA for no just cause, which basically was a no just cause, because I was not found with anything at all. Then after like 30 minutes, or 40 minutes, I just see a woman just came and pointed, the people just ran away from the office, and just pointed me, ‘he’s the one.’ Like five guys literally rushed towards me, they first brushed me and slapped me… and one even said, ‘Na you go post abi?’ They were beating me.”
He alleged that he was taken outside, ordered to roll on the ground, and beaten with sticks.
“As I was rolling on the floor back and forth, they were hitting me with sticks, kicking and slapping me. I was breathing so fast; I thought I was going to give up. I’ve never been beaten like that in my life,” he said.
Tuoyo claimed a female officer later intervened and stopped the assault but insisted that he should be “punished” by doing frog jumps, even though he could barely move due to pain.
He also displayed bruises on his hands, thighs, and back, saying he had to visit a hospital afterward.
In the caption accompanying his video, the reality star wrote:
“Nigeria finally happened to me. I can’t even stand or lie down properly. The pain the NDLEA officers inflicted on me after beating me like a criminal is not funny. We live in a country where our human rights are taken from us and there’s no freedom of speech.”
The NDLEA has not yet responded to Tuoyo’s allegations as of the time of filing this report.
Ademide Adebayo
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