Nigerian TikToker Faces Rearrest in Court Over Police Harassment Accusations

Seaking, a well-known Nigerian TikToker, was arrested again during a court appearance on Thursday, purportedly for his recent remarks on social media that exposed police corruption.
Omoyele Sowore, a human rights activist, revealed the development on his X (formerly Twitter) account and denounced the arrest as an effort to silence anyone who disagreed with the Nigerian Police Force.
According to Sowore, Seaking was arrested again under false pretenses of cybercrime by Force Public Relations Officer (PPRO) ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi.

We’ve learned that @PoliceNG in Lagos detained @seaking303 during a court hearing today, apparently charging him with cybercrime because of his recent posts on social media against police corruption. Force PPRO Adejobi Olumuyiwa @Princemoye1 is said to have planned this most recent arrest.

He said, “We ask the police to stop harassing Nigerians with cybercrime accusations and to release @seaking303 immediately.”

Seaking was reportedly first taken into custody on December 20, 2024, and arraigned on December 23 of the same year at Ogba Magistrate Court in Lagos. He was accused of treason and cyberstalking in a widely shared TikTok video in which he urged young Nigerians to fight police harassment by hurling stones at officers who insist on looking at their phones.

The judge granted him bail even though Inspector Christopher John, the police prosecutor, pushed for his 30-day remand. But because to administrative procedures and holiday holidays, his release was postponed.

His attorney, Inibehe Effiong, verified Seaking’s release from Kirikiri Maximum Security Custodial Center on January 6, 2025, following his compliance with the terms of his bail.

“We just left the Maximum Security Custodial Centre in Kirikiri with Olumide Ogunsanwo, also known as Seaking, on TikToker,” Effiong said.

He also promised to challenge the legal processes and chastised the police for stifling free speech through criminal accusations.

The accusations made against Seaking consist of:

According to Section 168(d)(2) of the Lagos Criminal Law, 2015, he posted a TikTok video encouraging the public to oppose police officers inspecting their phones, which is considered a breach of peace.

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Section 57(b) of the Lagos Criminal Law, 2015, states that the second count is inciting a breach of peace by inciting young Nigerians to attack police officers.

Section 24(1)(a)(b)(2)(a) and (i) of the Cybercrime Act, 2015, incites violence against the Nigerian Police, according to the third count, which consists of charges linked to cybercrime.

Activists have expressed indignation over Seaking’s rearrest and cautioned against the abuse of cybercrime laws to stifle dissent.

Legal experts and Sowore have called for his quick release, claiming that the police are using intimidation to prevent the people from criticizing the force’s suspected wrongdoing.