FREEDOM IN CELL!

I pledged to Nigeria my country.
To be faithful, loyal and honest.
To serve Nigeria with all my strength.
To defend her unity, and uphold her honour and glory.
And God has been helping me.

As a faithful citizen of Nigeria, I have taken an oath of allegiance to support my Country - this is why I am writing to every citizen of Nigeria to read and hear how our country paid me for my faithfulness.

I am Emayak Israel Johnny.
A citizen of Nigeria by birth.
A native of Ibio Nnung Achat village in Etim-Ekpo local government area of Akwa Ibom State.

I am a Final Year Student in the Department of Accounting, University of Lagos(DLI).

I am a citizen of Nigeria who is above the age of eighteen (18).
A resident of Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area, working under Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area in Lagos state. In other words, I am qualified to exercise my civic rights as a citizen of Nigeria which includes:

The Right to Life.
The Right to Fair Hearing
The Right to Freedom of Expression
The Right to Freedom of Movement.

THIS IS A REAL LIFE STORY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO ME ON TUESDAY, 17 MAY, 2018 IN AJEROMI-IFELODUN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA IN LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA.

It was after 11pm on Tuesday night, as a student, I have decided to work on some of my school assignments on the Learning Management System(LMS is an online platform where we do much of our academic activities in my school) that night which was to be submitted online.
Due to the availability of electric light which I saw at my church(which is about 6minutes[900.0 m] journey by car and about 11minutes[900.0 m] by foot from my home) but was unavailable at home, I decided to use my church that night for the assignments because of the conveniences and satisfaction I will derive after confirming that the light will last till the following morning. So I told my Dad and Mum that I will be going to the church to do my assignments and pass the night there. I took a mosquito net, some text and notebooks, my phone/charger for submission of assignment and a bottle of water inside my school bag. I took my wallet with me, inside my wallet was my National Identity Card, Voter's Card, Student Identity Card as shown above respectively, my ATM Card, expired medical card and cash of about N7,000 was also inside my wallet.

I left home for church(my church is situated at Ohikere Street, Olodi-Apapa, Lagos) while it was still after 11pm. On getting to Wilmer market at Idewu street, I saw a bus(popularly known as Danfo in my area that contains 8passengers including the driver) coming towards the wilmer junction. As the bus passed me, I took a quick view of the passengers inside and noticed that some policemen had arrested some boys inside the bus, I was also familiar with the faces of the men on police uniform because I've seen them operating during the day sometimes, so I didn't panic because I know they were policemen from one of the police division from the area. I had not taken more than five steps away from the bus when I heard one of the policemen inside the bus calling another policeman walking with a gun beside the bus to arrest me, I was shocked and confused, for what? I was not afraid, I have been hearing about the illegal arrest they carryout in the area. Though I had the opportunity to run away but I did not run because of these reasons:

I did not run because I knew that they were Nigerian Policemen.

I did not run because they said, the Police is your friend.

I did not run because I had not committed any crime to be arrested.

I did not run because I was not with any object or substance that could warrant my arrest.

I did not run because I didn't have any justified reason to run away from them.

I did not run because I wanted to witness the truth about the illegal operations that I've heard about them - On January 1, 2017, they(Nigerian Police) arrested three(3) of my friends who were returning home from church after the Crossover service by after 12am, took them to their Police station, Trinity Division, Olodi Apapa, Lagos and put them in the cell. Those who escaped the arrest after running brought the information to us at the church and I went with them to confirm things by myself. We paid ten thousand Naira(N10,000) to bail the three of them from the Police station after all explanations that they were returning from church proved futile - I was a witness to the payment, I personally gave the money to the officer in charge of them. That was how we started the year 2017.

I did not run because I am a faithful citizen of Nigeria.

I did not run because I had my National Identity Card as a citizen of Nigeria.

I did not run because I had my Permanent Voter's Card as a citizen of Nigeria showing that I am above the age of eighteen (18) which qualifies me as a citizen to exercise my RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT.

I did not run because I had my Student Identity Card as a Student of the University of Lagos.

I did not run because I was ready to explain myself and purpose of my movement.

I DID NOT RUN AWAY FROM THEM BECAUSE I HAD PLEDGED TO NIGERIA MY COUNTRY TO BE FAITHFUL, LOYAL AND HONEST. TO SERVE NIGERIA WITH ALL MY STRENGTH, TO DEFEND HER UNITY AND UPHOLD HER HONOUR AND GLORY.

Unfortunately, all my Identity Cards with me were rendered USELESS after I was arrested.

The Policeman walking with a gun ran towards me while I stood and watched him approach me with the gun in his hand, he put forth his left hand into my trouser and held my waist belt while dragging me to follow him. At first, I resisted, refused to follow him and asked him, 'what have I done?', he shouted at me, 'keep quite and follow me, we want see the content of your bag'. Then I was relived.
Meanwhile, when I was showing a little resistance and asking the policeman dragging me of my offence, one of them on casual wear had come down from the bus (I think he came down from the bus in case I try to defend myself with any form of action, they can handle me the way they treat those who try that) and was coming towards the scene, on seeing him, I quickly reduced the level of my resistance and followed the policeman dragging me to the bus.

On getting to the bus, I was ordered to enter inside, I wanted to ask why but I was ordered to keep quite and enter the bus which I did. I was the last victim to enter the bus, there were four young men of my age range already in the bus, two of them were handcuffed (they tried to escape but failed and got some ill treatment from the policemen as one of them narrated in the cell) and I was forced to sit on the laps of one of the young men who was begging and showing them his Company Identity Card(while in the cell he narrated that he was coming back from work and he was arrested the same way I was arrested. He also told me that he was the person they arrested before I was arrested), all his pleading fell on deaf ears.

I didn't even bother to beg or explain myself to them in the bus because they didn't ask, I kept quiet thinking they will stop by and ask us to give them the money on us so that they can release us before they reach the station - but they did not stop until they got to their station, Tolu Division, College Road, Ajegunle Olodi-Apapa, Lagos.

Immediately they ordered us to come down and enter the counter, I quickly removed my phone and updated my WhatsApp account (+2347080760195) status that I have been arrested by the Nigerian Police, Tolu division - I made the post two minutes to 12am. I didn't want to give my parents, brother or sisters a sleepless night, so I didn't inform them directly(maybe when they see my status update in the morning I will be out by then). While they(Nigerian Police) were collecting details and properties of others in the counter, I was receiving calls and sending messages to friends who saw my status update - I didn't call anyone directly because I wanted to see the end of this illegal operation by the Nigerian Police but for safety purpose about my whereabout I made that update on my status because I knew it will be seen by my family and friends.

After they collected my personal details, phone, wallet, waist belt, shoe and bag(I was the last person they questioned and searched), we were taken into the stinking cell alongside real criminals until the break of the day and if peradventure nobody shows up on your behalf, you will be a forgotten entity there before being taken to kirikiri.

That was how I spent a night in the cell for the first time of my life in the Nigerian police station, Tolu division.
I will not be able to write the stories narrated by others we met in the cell and those who joined us later about how they were arrested. We were about 20 young men in the cell where I was excluding the ladies - 80% of the young men in the cell that night were innocent citizens of Nigeria who had committed no crime but was arrested for strolling peacefully as a result of no electricity at home, heavy traffic jam while returning from work, etc. - the main reason of the arrest was to extort money from these innocent citizens of Nigeria searching for ends-means. I heard my phone ringing that night several times while I was in the cell, I couldn't sleep, the mosquitoes and bed bugs were heavily available.

After 7am, our names(the five of us) were called and we were ordered to come out and directed into an office where we were given our phones to call our people to come for us before 9am or we will be taken to the headquarter.

I was still scrolling my contact list in search of my military friends after contacting my uncle when my phone started ringing - it was my Church Pastor who was calling. He had called me that Tuesday evening informing me that he needed me to do something for him the following day if I will be available, as a Teacher, the third term holiday has just started, so we had made arrangement on how we will carryout the business the following day being Wednesday but he was not aware of all that had happened that night. He told me he had been calling my number but I wasn't picking it, then I narrated my ordeal to him. He asked if I had informed my parents and I told him I have informed my uncle. He requested for direction to the police station which I gave him and he promised he will be there very soon.

In a summary, my Church Pastor arrived the station before my uncle, after much explanation and deliberation one of them collected the sum of N2,000(remember that they said, BAIL IS FREE, it was even written in the office where we were given our phone to make calls) from him and effected my release. Meanwhile, I witness a young man negotiating the release of someone with N10,000 plus pleading yet they were not ready to collect the N10,000 - they needed some more cash added.

No doubt, they effected my release because of the presence and position of my Church Pastor but what was the crime that I committed: LATE HOUR MOVEMENT.
Yes you heard me right!

I thought the duty of the Nigerian Police is to protect the lives and properties of the citizens of Nigeria.

I thought the duty of the Nigerian Police is to preserve law and order.

I thought the duty of the Nigerian Police is to prevent and detect crimes.

The citizens of Nigeria have suffered and are suffering tremendously under the hands of the Nigerian police and I think it's high time we take a look at some of the anomalies of the Nigerian police.
I am calling on Nigerians, we all need to address this big fostering menace that has to do with the Nigerian police in quest to defending and upholding the honour and glory of our great nation.

I have gathered the temerity to write and voice out against this sore issue consuming our national pride. The next victims will still be citizens of Nigeria.

Arise, O Great Nigerians, let's build a nation where peace and justice shall reign.
May the labour of our heroes past never be in vain.

MAY GOD BLESS NIGERIA!