The Lagos State Police Command has responded to allegations of assault made by influencer Abike Raheem, known as Papaya Ex.
Papaya Ex alleged during a TikTok live session on Friday night that a police officer assaulted her in the Ajah area of Lagos while she was returning from a shoot.
She appeared on the live video with a bleeding face and claimed an officer hit her with a gun, touched her inappropriately and beat her driver.
She also alleged that her mobile phone was seized.
The alleged assault was not captured in the video, though she displayed injuries on her face.
Papaya Ex said that what began as an exchange with officers turned into a confrontation.
Videos circulating online show a heated interaction between her and an officer, prompting calls on social media for an investigation.
Responding on social media on Saturday, police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin gave the command’s account of the incident.
He said that just before 2 a.m., officers on night patrol stopped a vehicle conveying three men and two women for a routine check.
According to him, Papaya Ex refused the search, saying, “You cannot search my car. Don’t you know Papaya? Even your bosses know me.”
Spokeperson Hundeyin stated that she chose to proceed to the police station, with her vehicle driving ahead while the patrol team followed behind.
He alleged that she instructed her driver to speed off, leaving the patrol vehicle behind.
He added that officers had to alert another patrol team ahead to intercept the vehicle and that the live session began after the interception.
In a separate statement, police public relations officer SP Abimbola Adebisi said the vehicle, a white Mercedes-Benz SUV conveying five occupants, was intercepted during a stop-and-search operation.
“A white Mercedes-Benz SUV conveying five (5) occupants – two (2) females and three (3) males – was intercepted during a routine stop-and-search operation. When questioned, the occupants were unable to provide satisfactory means of identification,” she said.
She said the occupants were unable to provide satisfactory identification when questioned.
According to SP Adebisi, one of the occupants repeatedly identified herself as Papaya Ex but did not present valid identification or verifiable details.
“One of them repeatedly stated, ‘I am Papaya X, even your bosses know me,’ but failed to present any valid identification or offer verifiable details.”
Officers then directed the group to proceed to Ajah Police Station for identification and documentation, with an assistant superintendent of police entering the SUV while other officers followed behind.
She alleged that the driver sped off after leaving the scene and that the vehicle was later intercepted by personnel from the Langbasa Police Division at a checkpoint around Addo Roundabout.
“However, upon leaving the scene, the driver suddenly sped off in an apparent attempt to evade the Police. The vehicle was subsequently intercepted through the swift intervention of personnel from Langbasa Police Division at another checkpoint around Addo Roundabout.”
She said the viral video was recorded after the vehicle was stopped at the second checkpoint.
“The viral video being circulated was recorded after the vehicle had been successfully stopped at the second checkpoint,” she stated.
The police said the matter is under investigation and that further updates will be provided.
