Security operatives arrest Lagos PDP chieftain Gbadamosi – Wife

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Security operatives on Wednesday arrested Babatunde Gbadamosi, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State, after he honoured a verbal invitation, his wife said.

The law enforcement agency that arrested Mr. Gbadamosi and official reasons for the action were not yet confirmed as at 7:00 p.m., but Sade Gbadamosi told PREMIUM TIMES her husband was arrested by the State Security Service, SSS, for his fierce anti-government views.

PREMIUM TIMES could not independently confirm that SSS executed Mr. Gbadamosi’s arrest. The agency’s refusal to appoint a spokesperson running close to two years made it impossible to get clarification about the development.

A spokesperson for the police in Lagos did not immediately respond to requests for commentsWednesday night.

But Mrs. Gbadamosi said her husband was detained shortly after his arrival at the Lagos field office of the secret police around 11:00 a.m. Wednesday. He was transferred to Abuja about two hours later, she said.

The politician was there to honour a verbal invitation he received from SSS officers who stormed his residence in Eleko Beach Tuesday, but were prevented from gaining access because they allegedly did not show a valid warrant of arrest, Mrs. Gbadamosi said.

“They came yesterday. No warrant. So I did not let them into the estate. I told them he will come today instead. So we went. Immediate arrest without charges and he was then bundled to Abuja,” Mrs. Gbadamosi told this newspaper in a brief exchange on instant messaging platform, WhatsApp.

“No freedom of speech,” she said.

Mr. Gbadamosi, a PDP governorship aspirant in Lagos, had gained recognition as a vocal voice of opposition to Muhammadu Buhari administration, often joining voices with Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti and ex-minister Femi Fani-Kayode to rail against Mr. Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress.

Hours before his arrest while he was going to the SSS field office in Lagos, he put up an update on his Facebook page, to warn of his possible detention for an extensive period.

“Yesterday, six men from the SSS came to deliver a verbal invitation for me to attend their office at CMD Road, Shangisha today.

“I have packed a day bad, just in case they decided to add me to the exclusive club of detained opposition voices.

“The struggle to free Nigeria from the clutches of tyranny and corruption must continue, with or without me. I fear no man, only God the Creator,” he wrote.

His wife reaffirmed that six men were at their residence on Tuesday.

She said her husband might have been arrested over a video he posted on the Internet to vent his opposition to the Central Bank’s foreign exchange policies.

“A particular video went viral. Talking about forex hanky pankies,” Mrs. Gbadamosi said.

PREMIUM TIMES did not see the video.

Mrs. Gbadamosi said she will be in Abuja Wednesday night with her husband’s lawyers to seek access to him in SSS custody.