Nigerian content creator and activist Adebowale Debo Adedayo, popularly known as Mr Macaroni, has shared how a harrowing experience with police brutality transformed him into a fearless advocate for justice.
In a recent interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, Mr Macaroni recounted his 2021 arrest by Nigerian police officers during a protest against the reopening of the Lekki Tollgate, which had been closed since the tragic #EndSARS protests on October 20, 2020.
Following the massacre of young Nigerian protesters, public outcry arose when the government moved to reopen the tollgate. Macaroni, among others, protested this decision, openly defying a directive from the Lagos State government.
Macaroni described how, during his detention, he endured severe mistreatment.
Stripped naked and molested, he witnessed officers' hatred and took note of their willingness to inflict suffering.
"The skit I made doesn’t do justice to what I experienced," he explained. "I was completely naked. They stripped us, and I was molested. They were happy and even mentioned names, saying I was disturbing some people."
This traumatic encounter marked a turning point for Macaroni, who said it erased.