HOW REV. OKOTIE RUINED MY LIFE -DAFE,FORMER PIANIST CRIES OUT!

If you have not been there before it may be really interesting getting oneself a vacation there; I mean in one of the many prisons dotting the nooks and crannies of Nigeria. None the less, it could be assumed that no one in his right senses would ever wish his enemies to be a guest of such a beautiful place like the notorious Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Lagos where men are said to be turned to animals and death smells over its dirty and blood stained walls. That haven is where history has it that the super rich and controversial Pastor of the Household of God Church, Reverend Chris Okotie twice sent his former pianist, Okiotor Dafiaghor (popularly known as Dafphee )  to for daring to demand for his unpaid 12 years salary.  In this exclusive interview that lasted up to 4hours, Dafphee who was only recently released on bail pending the determination of his case against his former pastor, recounted to TNS  his  Prison experience

Can you tell us your experience on your first day in prison?

The first day I got into prison was one of the scarcest experiences of my life. For this is a place I have not gone to before. When we got out of the Black Maria, we were told to hold our hands in two. And you know, it’s so funny when you see people go in a Black Maria and your first thought about these people is that they are all criminals and all of that. Here I was in a Black Maria for real, not in a dream world, not in a movie.  It was not funny at all.  In that Black Maria I met some people, for usually they bring people to court from the prison. There they knew those of us that are new recruits. The first thing that you want to do is to ask people there what is ahead for you. At first, when you get into the first cell they usually try to get money out of you. These are the people who came from prison to court. If you have money you have to purge yourself out first. Then you don’t get bullied for anything like that. Good thing was that I was having some money on me and I gave it to them.

Right inside the Black Maria, I met a person who have been there before and who was not as furious as the other guys. I struck a kind of friendship with him and he asked me, what am I expecting in that place? The first thing he told me was that where I was going is a holy ground. I just could not understand what is holy about Kirikiri. I was like how do you mean it is a holy ground?

Did he try to tell you that it is were not a place to be scared of?

Yea! I asked him how the welcome was going to look like. He said, you are a man and you should be able to handle whatever would come your way. That became all I could think about; you are a man you should be able to handle what comes your way, good or bad. I laughed, telling my self, we don enter.

Eventually we got into the Black Maria and right inside it there was so much of us that because we were squeezed we could hardly move. No way would the vehicle move that you would not step on somebody. You step on somebody you get a slap or a blow or something. There is no brother there. Those of us new tried to maintain and respect ourselves.

How many of you were in that compartment?

There are two compartments. I can’t tell how many we were in that compartment but I knew there was no space. We were worst than sardines. You know how it is where they have to push people to force the door to close. That was exactly how it was. But you know the guys that are used to it didn’t find any problem with it. Every time we passed by a police check point, they all start shouting at any policeman, ole, ole, thief, police ole. The policemen would just laugh; some just kept doing their own thing.

Even though it was not a funny thing I was not in a mood to laugh. We got there and we were told to get into what they called The German Gate.

When you were being transported you saw the outside world, at that time what were going on in your mind?

It was a feeling of despondency, rejection. The feeling that could go on in my mind was this is what I see in movies. And the fact that every time I saw that vehicle drive past me I would always say criminals are being transported. And now I was like telling myself, now I am also a criminal. What that does to you is to change your perception. Every time you see a Black Maria you don’t see them as criminals. I also noticed there are so many innocent people there. But anyway, there were actually two gates making the German Gate. First gate then there is a middle spot like a parlour and after that, the second gate and both of them don’t open at the same time. One has to open and close before the other opens.

There we were told to sleep on the floor. They just shouted at us, ‘lie down every body’ and the next thing we knew was flogging.

Who were those flogging you?

The Wardens. You do obey quickly. They expect that when they switch you, you will just go on.

Don’t you have any kind of Human Rights there?

Hmm. In prison there is nothing like Human Rights. Once you step into that first cell you have lost every Fundamental Human Right that you thought you have.

Anyway, we were told to sit down and if you don’t comply quickly enough they flog you. So they sorted out those of us who were already in it before and sent them in. Then it was time for us the new ones. They now called our names, led us into a cell called the Welcome Cell. At the Welcome Cell they really welcomed us. Before the Welcome Cell the first thing that the Wardens told us is, “oga I invite you to come here? Na be me bring you come? I dey my own jejeli o when you come o so whatever you see you go take am.”

 So we have gotten that orientation already. Here we got into the Welcome Cell, from the entrance of the Welcome Cell it was beating. This point we were at the mercies of the Wardens. They told us to remove our shirts and emptied everything on us. Before then they have taken our money at the gate. That is whatever money, cell phone and so forth, they kept them. For those who smuggled money into the place, they searched everybody. And before they searched they will tell you if you have money to bring it out. It’s important for you have to do that first before they start searching. And God helps you if they find money on you. They can put their hands into your anus to search for money.  This is because some people put money in their anus. Once they root such out you are first beaten then separated for further punishment.  Since most of us had left our money at the gate, those who didn`t bring in money are in trouble.

However we were told to squat again and asked to Cagle our faces. To Cagle your face means putting your face in between your kneel. It means you must not look at anybody. They must not see your eyes. All that will change when you start hearing and feeling lashes coming from the front and with you at the back you know that it must soon get to you. So you just brace yourself. After all of that they separated and divided us into two portions, one on both sides of the large room. There they made us to know that those of us that have money can pay for accommodation.

They later asked us, ‘what country are you from?’ To me that looks like a stupid question. This is supposed to be Nigeria. And they were like, say which country; we say we are from Nigeria. They then say, so you think you can just come in to another person`s country without a visa? Or do you think this is Nigeria and we say no. They then say, ‘you can live in your Nigeria with your Badluck Jonathan. In this place we have our different governments here. Then they brought out a guy who now read for us the rules and regulations. What you can do and what you can’t do.’

They also told us that we shouldn’t worry that our Mister Biggs and all what-not’s, that they will come in the morning. That we should bear. That was around 8:30 pm; obviously, they took away our wristwatches. Even though there was a wall clock there your face must not look at it. In fact that is the least of your problems.

Eventually they served food to us that have good money. I was given food too because I had made them a promise I will give them money by morning time. We were just a few of us that got food and slept in the VIP section.

Can you tell us what happened between the hours of the night till morning? What were your feelings like, did you dream or sleep at all?

It was cold, really cold and you know as I drop off to sleep, it was the only thing I can explain. The emotional trauma of been in this place was bad enough for me. Moreover the whole place smells like shit because some of the guys were brought in from the SARRS. You can imagine the feelings of those of us that look very clean and seen as the aje butters or omo London. That was why they asked us if we wanted to serve our jail terms like omo London. They say, ‘come let’s tell you, some of your friends you think are in America are in this place.’ And this was like the truth because I saw people I thought were outside the country in there. While I somehow could not sleep at night w were taken out in the morning for manual labour. That was where we got our breakfast, I mean a wonderful breakfast indeed.

 What do you mean by wonderful breakfast or food?

It was beans, oil and garri. It was two table spoons of oil beans porridge and a sprinkle of garri on its top. It is like powdering the beans. That is not all; there is also the fact that the beans were cooked the morning before and the pot of beans not covered till the day we ate it; the beans come with horrible odour.

Didn’t they heat the beans for you?

Heat what? You have lost all your Human Rights. Now yours was Animal Rights. Like I said, they poured the beans with all the stones and dirt on earth, I mean it’s the worst you can get from the market; it’s unclean. It is the worst kind with all the trash and the stones being poured into the pot. In this, you are on your own. One bit of it, you will be dealing with stones. So you are careful not to bite anything.

And the garri is the worst I have ever seen. It’s specially made for the prisoners. You be sure there is lot of sands in it. Sand was just a part of the condiment. Remember that the bean is just water, oil, no salt, no pepper, and no nothing.

No seasoning?

Ha! Look at this man. Seasoning? That was not in the food. So I opted for soaking garri. This is because I felt it was better allowing the sand settle at the bottom of the garri before drinking it. Recall I made a promise so immediately I fulfilled my promise they gave me garri to drink. After taking the garri they took us for registration. That took all of the afternoon with no meal because of the time we used to finish it. But there you can buy things in the prison. For with all the beaten some people still have money on them? That is were you have to hang on to anyone with money to get your food. And because it’s a situation of despondency everybody becomes friendly to one another. It is also easier to make friends there than outside because adversity joins people together. All you do is look at somebody looking clean like yourself and get bond together.

 It was before the registration that I paid my money. That was because they told me I would not be shared to the general cell. The cell I was in is cleaner than the general cell by prison standard. None the less, after paying my money and it was time to be shared, like play, they shared me into the general cell with a promised of been treated well by the Marshal.

 Anyway I met the Marshal; there it was the same treatment we got at the German Gate. They shouted Cagle your face. It was all the same things we went through the other day but it was more interesting here. After we cagled our faces for about 3 or 4 hours, putting your face between your kneels with no space among you they then told us to introduce ourselves. Doing this you must hold your two ears, stamping your feet and say, ‘good evening officers and state members. My name is Dafe. I come from Nigeria’ and you must shout it out. It means you should not hear them tell you to project. That may mean they will project it in your ears with a slap. I am from Nigeria and stay in Lagos State in Nigeria. Questions like these are common, ‘Who is your Governor; Fashola. Who is your president, President Badluck Jonathan.’ This is because we learnt from the first place that you must not say Goodluck but Badluck.

 After the first drill they took us to read the laws. The first law is that the Marshal order is final. There were about 24 laws: No sodomy and you can’t smoke marijuana but that happens there. These are laws given by the Authority. You can’t do Dying and Duping, which is the most important law. This means if somebody visits you or sent you money, or things to you, you can’t hide it. You must declare them before the Marshal. If you don’t want to do it you should have a friend in another cell that can hide them for you and he must be officers who are people with privileges. They are the senior you can’t search. That is why we were told you must declare what you were given and the Marshal takes his before you can use the rest.

Who is the Marshal?

He is the President of the Cell for there are several Cells. After that, is his assistant who is the IG, then the Adviser, the CJ, the Commissioner of Police, the Minster of Health and the GOC. The job of the GOC is very important as he is the person with the State`s Key. This is like a mental cup. With this, he makes aloud noise by shifting the thing on the ground and starts announcing his message for the day. If he was going to announce for food, he goes, “kpom kpom, to your post and sit right (2ce). Outside from lavatory; all smokers seize fire (2ce). You don hear o (2ce). you jam am you carry am.” Meanwhile other people have their own ways of doing it. Some will add Yoruba language.

Another law is that there should be no muchi muchi. It means gossip. Anything that happens in the Cell must end in the Cell. If you are caught gossiping or saying things to outsiders, you are in trouble.

That was how we were also told of the jobs for us, that packing shit is our work. That includes washing lavatory and all the dirty jobs like washing plates; they have names for everything.

There are also the Mopols and the Prosecutors. Once you commit a crime you are booked by the Prosecutors with the court holding every Saturday. The CJ is usually the one to judge the cases. There are no lawyers. In this Court you must be guilty for there is no vindication. You would be told that you committed a crime and for such you will be packing shit for one week. It may mean a hundred packing shit.

The waste or sewage pit is an open pit where all the things go into. This is where we have to pack the excreta from and pour into another big dug hole. It’s like the normal suckaway pit but old and broken. So you go there to empty or bail out hundred buckets as you are told to do. But some of us that respected ourselves even though you are told you age don’t matter, don`t get such punishment so long as you respect yourself. Even where you break the rules which I did a few times, the Mopols will caution you. Its like all animals are equal but some are more equal. This means more promissory notes to the Marshal to give you VIP. This VIP does not permits you to go to another man`s corner. The post you are given becomes your permanent post. That is where you stay when they say, panji to your post.

Another thing that struck me there was how people spend more time than necessary in there for whatever crime they must have committed. For there are those guys awaiting trials and have spent longer time there that if they have been given jail terms they would have finish their sentences. Among such was a guy that had spent 3 years before he was allowed his freedom. It’s painful because I felt there must be ways to rectify these things. If educated people like us don’t talk about it, people like the Okotie`s of this world that think they have money and can do anything on earth would not do it.

Are you planning to do anything in that regard?

We are already doing it. But for now I would not say anything on it. This is to see that Nigeria changes. This is democracy. We are no more in Military Regime. Okotie and his likes are still in that world. They have not come to the reality of the present world we are living. He wants to be our President when he can’t even be a President of Prisoners.