The Lagos State Police Command has responded to assault allegations made by Nigerian content creator and influencer Abike Raheem, popularly known as Papaya Ex, offering its version of events surrounding the incident.
Earlier reports indicated that the influencer claimed she was assaulted by police officers on Friday night while returning from a movie shoot. During a TikTok live session, she appeared with a bleeding face and alleged that officers struck her with a gun, assaulted her, and beat her driver.
While the alleged assault itself was not captured on video, she displayed visible injuries, including a wound on her face.
Reacting via social media, the command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, explained that the incident began shortly before 2:00 a.m. when officers on routine patrol stopped a vehicle conveying three men and two women for checks.
According to him, the influencer refused the search and insisted officers could not inspect her vehicle, after which she opted to drive to the station with the patrol team following behind.
Hundeyin stated that during the drive, she allegedly instructed her driver to speed off, prompting officers to radio a team ahead to intercept the vehicle. He added that the live session began during this sequence of events.
He concluded that the police would handle the matter internally, assuring that the command would take appropriate steps regarding the situation.