In this interview with ENIOLA AKINKUOTU, Mrs Dorcas Jolayemi, the wife of a journalist detained for criticising Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, recounts her eight-day ordeal in the custody of the Kwara State Police Command

A human rights organisation claimed you spent eight days in police detention because of your husband’s poem, which was critical of the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed. Can you narrate the events that led to your arrest?

On April 29, 2020 policemen came to my house in Ilorin, Kwara State, but I was not at home. I had gone to visit my brother-in-law. I was told that when they realised I was not at home, they came to my brother-in-law’s house in a Hilux van. They were about four policemen altogether. They said they had come to arrest me and I stood up. They kept asking me where my phone was and I told them it was with my son.

They said I must follow them to their station with my phone. Eventually, I got the phone and we left. On getting to the State Criminal Investigation Department, they began to interrogate me. They asked why I obstructed the arrest of my husband. I asked them what they meant by that.

They asked me when last I spoke with my husband and I told them I spoke with him in the morning. They said they wanted to arrest my husband and he fled to Maro in Kwara State. They said I was the one who advised him to run away and switch off his phone. They played a recording of my phone conversation with my husband.

Apparently, they had bugged my phone and that of my husband. I admitted that, indeed, I told my husband to run away, but it wasn’t a crime because I didn’t harbour him. I only asked him not to come home, which is what a typical wife would do. I heard the police wanted to arrest him and I didn’t know the reason why they wanted to arrest him. I told him to run away because I wanted him to be safe. They said for that, I would pay for it. I was brought before their boss and the man insulted me, calling me a stupid woman. He said I shouldn’t have advised my husband to run away. The man said I would pay for it and they took my statement. I was there from April 29 to May 6.

What exactly was your husband accused of doing?

While I was in detention, they played a recording of the poem that was recited by my husband. They asked if I could confirm if the voice belonged to my husband and I said it was his voice. They said how could my husband be insulting Lai Mohammed, a minister. They said it was Lai Mohammed that ordered them to arrest him.

When you were in detention, were you tortured by the police?

My experience in police custody was horrible. It was my older sister that was bringing food to me. I wasn’t allowed to communicate with anybody. They didn’t let me speak with my son. I slept on the corridor of the toilet. The place was horrible. I couldn’t sleep most of the time because of mosquitoes. I would stay awake most nights to ward off the mosquitoes.

Did you have access to your lawyer during that period?

No. They didn’t even allow me to talk to anyone, not even to my lawyer.

Did the police also arrest other relatives of yours?

My husband’s younger brother, Mr Joseph Jolayemi, was arrested on April 28. He was arrested because of my husband. At the time of his arrest, he was accused of possessing a stolen cell phone. However, on getting to the SCID, he was interrogated. The police asked him questions about my husband. They subsequently played a phone conversation he had with my husband. It was obvious that his phone had also been bugged. My brother’s older brother, John Jolayemi, was also arrested.

Who took care of your children in your absence?

My brother-in-law’s wife was the one that took care of them.

Did you bribe the police before you were released?

When my husband finally presented himself a week later, we were released. He came with a lawyer. So we signed some documents. I can’t really say what happened afterwards. I don’t know if the police were given money or not. My brothers-in-law may know.

How has your health been since your release?

My two brothers-in-law and I were all hospitalised after we were released. We spent about a week in hospital. We had severe malaria. It was a traumatic experience.

Have you had contact with your husband since his arrest?

The last time I saw or spoke to my husband was on May 5, 2020, the day he turned himself in at the SCID. On Thursday, which was May 7, he was taken to Abuja and since then, he has remained there.

Do you know if he is alive and well?

Sincerely, I don’t even know if he is alive or not because I have no access to him. Even his brothers are getting information about him from third parties. I don’t know whether he is sick or well. I worry about him every day.

Have you made attempts to plead with Lai Mohammed to drop the case?

According to my brothers-in-law, they sent representatives to plead with Lai Mohammed to drop the case. They said the Oba of Ilala in Kwara State and some other traditional rulers had gone to the minister to plead with him, but he has refused to respond. Some even went to the minister’s hometown in Oro to plead with elders in his community, but there has been no positive response.

Who has been providing for your family since your husband’s arrest?

At present, we are staying with my brother-in-law. He is the one that is taking care of us.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/i-spent-eight-days-in-detention-because-my-husband-criticised-lai-mohammed-housewife/%3famp=1

Too bad

Power is transient and ephemeral, but many politicians doesn't know.

What about President Trump that has received insults and open criticism from the media...

I think it's high time Ncc comes out to explain why people's phone are being bugged. as for lai Mohammed they should know this government will end one day and they will answer everything they have done. people will charge them to various courts, they will roll on the ground and beg tire.if there is one thing history has taught us in Nigeria,you will surely pay for your sins. when Gej was President people looted as if they will never be called to account for what was taken, buhari came as started harrasing them.now this present government have looted even more, destroying evidences through fire outbreak,some of them are now like the biblical nebucadnezzer ,aresting and toturing people as if there's no tommorow, somebody call you small bird you angry. gal 6:7 .el rufai, lai Mohammed,bubu all of you will answer for your actions. we saw it with oputa panel but this time nothing like forgiveness..

Go to court and sue for breach of fundamental human right. Make Lie mohammed No 1 defendant, the police comissioner No 2, the IPO No 3, down to the last korofo policeman.

Ask for 900 million naira in damages and costs and hang the case on their neck. Also get an online journalist to keep publicizing the court proceedings to ensure it remains on the frontbunner of national issues.

Hmmmm

Honestly, this is bad for our democracy.Lai Muhammed needs to be informed about the insults being hurled at Donald Trump and no one has been arrested.

Set of bad people, they can't withstand a single criticism but can dish it out just to downgrade their opponents. This show that even with the power they are drunk with, they have no peace, joy and rest of mind.

lie Mohammed like to detain people sha

Only in 9ja does this kind of sh*t happens

It is better we scrap our constitution and adopt North Korea kind of system rather than pretend we are in a democracy. Every politician in Nigeria is now immuned to criticism. Governors are doing their own same for ministers.

Just sue Buhari .

YOUR HUSBAND IS VERY STUPID.

OMG �

eeyah sorry madam. but this fight is not your husband fight it's a fight between governor and lai Muhammad but unfortunately for your husband he will be used to settle scores

We made them gods when we keep celebrating them even in mediocrity.

Now that they've become gods, our eyes are open to their faults and they won't tolerate any criticism. This is why the gods are angry.

This same set of people insulted and turned Goodluck Jonathan to a laughing stock back in 2015 calling him all sorts of names...
Now that they're in power, it's funny how they can't now take a taste of their own medicine. Bloody hypocrites!

This is what you get when you give a clueless, tribalistic and uneducated man another chance to rule you after failing as a military dictator. Nigerians should enjoy their next level sha

They are afraid of same insult they used to get into power. Hypocrites

Sue the hell outta everyone of them and cashout big time...

If actually Democracy Rules Everything Around Me which I think is still a D.R.E.A.M, people shouldnt be arrested for spitting their minds. Maybe we back to the military era. It's about time We All Kill Every Unscrupulous Politicians...WAKE UP because we tired of the intimidation.

Hmmmmm

Nigeria under the rule of the clueless, incompetent, nepotistic, archaic, totalitarian, vindictive and above all illiterate Buhari is quickly deteriorating into a Gestapo state.

This is invasion of privacy.

I thought it was only terrorism that can grant the IG the power to access phone records.

Lai used his position in the ministry to boycott every known due process.

Buhari and cohorts are actually above the law.

God punished lia Muhammad badstard foolish man

Indabosky o ga o

The Nigerian Police or any security agencies in the country has no right to bug anyone's phone without a court order, Lai Mohammed may be a victim of this devilish act tomorrow if he leaves government, is it not the same Lai Muhammad that was insulting /criticizing all members of previous governments? The international communities should keep watch on all this people who are suppressing freedom of speech in the country under democracy and sanction them and members of their families, Governors, ministers in this administration that cant stand criticism should please do the needful and resign, public /government offices is not by force.

Its also high time the court should start punishing over zealous government officials for carrying out illegal duties,the highest ranking police officer involved in this illegal detention of this woman should be made to face the book, demoted and uses as an example for others to carry out their duties in the confines of the law.
Without this, the country will not move forward.

Bugging people phone over trivial issue. This country self