Nigerian social media personality Abike Raheem, popularly known as Papaya Ex, has alleged that she was assaulted by a police officer during a late-night stop in the Ajah area of Lagos State.
She made the claim during an emotional live session on TikTok on Friday, stating that the incident occurred while she was returning home from a movie shoot.
According to her, what began as a calm interaction with the officer soon escalated into a heated confrontation. She alleged that the officer struck her in the face with a gun, assaulted her driver, and touched her inappropriately during the encounter.
Papaya Ex also claimed that her mobile phone was forcibly taken from her and that she was attacked inside her car, leaving her bleeding.
Although the alleged assault was not recorded, she explained during the broadcast that a poor network connection prevented her from capturing the incident. She, however, showed a visible mark on her face, which she said resulted from the encounter.
In posts shared on her social media pages, the influencer appealed for attention to the incident, tagging the Nigeria Police Force and stating that the officer used a weapon against her.
Videos that later surfaced online captured a tense exchange between her and a man believed to be a police officer, with raised voices heard during the argument. The full circumstances that led to the confrontation remain unclear.
Papaya Ex, who appeared shaken in the circulating clips, further alleged that harassment by some officers is a recurring issue for residents in the area.
As of the time of filing this report, the Lagos State Police Command had not issued an official response to the allegations.