Nigerian content creator and activist Adebowale Debo Adedayo, widely known as Mr. Macaroni, has shared the experience that made him fearless.
He said his 2021 arrest by Nigerian police was the turning point.
NewsNGR reports that after the #EndSARS protest on October 20, 2020, which saw Nigerian youths stand against the reopening of the Lekki Tollgate, Mr. Macaroni was among those arrested for protesting at the site.
In a recent interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, Mr. Macaroni revealed that his time in police custody transformed him, erasing his fear and igniting a resolve to advocate for the oppressed. He described being stripped naked and mistreated by officers who seemed to take pleasure in his suffering.
“I feel I should be involved because God gave me this platform, not for popularity, but to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves. How can I expect others to make sacrifices if I’m unwilling to make them myself?” he said.
He continued, “All the fear left me after that experience. That was the turning point. After they tortured me and I saw the hatred in their eyes, I knew I had to keep speaking up.
“The skit I made doesn’t fully capture what I went through. I was stripped completely naked, molested, and taunted. They seemed pleased with what they were doing, even mentioning names, saying I was disturbing certain people.”