Dorcas Jolayemi, wife of journalist detained for insulting the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has shared the harrowing experience she went through when she was detained by the Police for eight days.
Odunews.com reports that her husband Rotimi Jolayemi was arrested by the Police for insulting the Minister in a voice recording being circulated on WhatsApp.
He has since been charged to court for “causing annoyance” and “insult” to the Minister
Speaking in an interview with PUNCH, Mrs Jolayemi revealed that she was in police detention for eight after she was being accused of asking her husband to ‘run away’ so as to evade arrest.
Although the Minister has denied involvement in the arrest, she stated that the Police confirmed to her that Lai Mohammed ordered the arrest of her husband.
Narrating her ordeal, she said:
“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. They said it was Lai Mohammed that ordered them to arrest him.”
Dorcas said her detention was “horrible”, and that she got released when her husband presented himself to the police — a week later.
“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,” she said.
“When my husband finally presented himself a week later, we were released. He came with a lawyer. So we signed some documents.”
