The police said they have detained political activist Deji Adeyanju and two others for criminal defamation and breach of public peace.
Mr Adeyanju, Daniel Abobama and Boma Williams were part of a demonstration in Abuja on Wednesday morning.
The trio were arrested according to a statement by police spokesperson Jimoh Moshood.
Mr Moshood said the arrest did not violate either the Nigerian Constitution or the police establishment powers and that the trio had already being arraigned in an Abuja court.
He added that even though they have rights as citizens, “these rights must be observed with decorum, in good faith and without violating the rights of other millions of Nigerians to free movement and access to safety and security across the country.”
The police accused Adeyanju and the two others of contravening criminal statutes by their conduct both physically and online.
Moshood attached some placards and screenshots of Adeyanju’s Facebook page which the police found to be criminally defamatory and “capable of inciting public disturbance, threat to public security and safety, criminal defamatory and derogatory conduct against constituent authority and breach of law and order.”
Adeyanju has led regular protests against alleged injustice and other highhanded conducts of public institutions and individuals, frequently clashing with security agencies.
He had been arrested at least three times in 2018, all while leading or participating in protests.
