[size=14pt]My 2hr ordeal in Police cell, Terry Tha Rapman[/size]
Music Aug 7, 2010 Share | By Lolade Sowoolu

Rap musician, Terry Tha Rapman shares with Showtime Celebrity, the story of his arrest by men of the Nigerian Police for ‘loitering’ and his two hour ordeal  in a Police cell.
Excerpts.

Did you have any premonition about your late night experience last Thursday?


Rap musician, Terry Tha Rapman
It was just the usual hectic day. I had a couple of runs with my manager. We held a couple of meetings in the Allen axis (Lagos). I was supposed to hook up with a friend who runs an events company to discuss some shows. It was an informal meeting so he said I should buy him a drink.

Were you with your manager?

My manger had left by then because he was tired and it was almost 10pm. Besides, it was an informal meeting and he was a friend. We were there for about 45minutes before I decided to leave just a few minutes before 11pm.  I strolled out hoping to get a cab. That was on Toyin street, Ikeja.

And then what happened?

A vehicle just pulled up, not too far from me, and policemen jumped out and grabbed a couple of people. I don’t know if they were miscreants. I wasn’t bothered because I didn’t have anything incriminating on me. Next thing, I heard someone shouting, ‘hey you there’.

Hold on. Are you familiar with that neighbourhood?

Yes, I stay in that area.

So what do you think was suspicious about you that night? Could it have been your appearance?
Apart from wearing a black hat and a tee-shirt on jeans, there was nothing more.

Were you high on alcohol?

No, I was not tipsy. One (of the policemen on raid) just called me and said they had called me earlier and that I did not respond. I said, I didn’t know and before I knew it, a couple more jumped out of the vehicle and cocked their guns.

How many were they?

Four. I tried explaining that I hadn’t done anything wrong but they kept shouting me down. I felt they should at least have searched me but the next thing I knew, they were grabbing me by the shirt to get into the vehicle.

Was it a pick-up van?

No , it was a commercial bus painted yellow. [size=14pt]They put me inside and then one of them sat on my laps so I wouldn’t jump out.[/size] I kept asking the sergeant who I thought to be the leader, what I had done wrong, but he told  me to shut up that when I got to the police station, I would find out. They had guns so I had to behave myself.

How many other people were in the bus?

There were like six or seven. I’m not so sure. It was jam packed together with the policemen.
When we got to the police station, I tried explaining but they simply pushed me into custody. At that point, I realised how serious things had become. I tried using my phones, but my BlackBerry battery was low so I couldn’t make any radio calls. I resorted to using the BlackBerry message.

They pushed me into a room, just like a cell. There were other people there. Then came this woman, she wasn’t wearing a uniform. She asked for my name but I refused to give her because I didn’t want my name in any criminal records. Soon they began stripping people of their belongings. Before they got to me, I sent out BlackBerry messages to some friends about where I was.

About 45minutes later, one of the officers came and interrogated me about who I was and why I was loitering. [size=14pt]By then one of my friends had called the Lagos State Police Commissioner who called the Area Commander  and all of that. Eventually, the Sergeant who led the patrol team was detained.[/size]

Were you harassed physically?

They didn’t hit or beat me. They just grabbed me by the shirt.

Can you talk about the cell experience?

While I was in the cell, a guy next to me asked me what I was doing time for. I said I didn’t do any thing. [size=14pt]He narrated to me how he was dating the same girl with one of the policemen and that was the reason he was being victimised. He said he was even yet to contact his folks as  at then. I felt I sorry for him.[/size]

The release

The Area Commander asked who was Terry and said he had got a call from Abuja saying I was arrested against my will. He apologised and took me to his office. The others (policemen) were surprised and were asking, [size=14pt]‘U be Governor pikin?’[/size] I said ‘no’ that I’m an artiste.

They wondered how the IG would call ordering my release and that the leader of the patrol that picked me up, detained, if I was just an artiste. I told him that I didn’t know what he was talking about because as at then I didn’t even know who was helping me.

Have you been arrested before?

Yes, and funny enough, for this same reason. It was sometimes in 2003. It was me, Six foot plus and three other guys. We were coming from a show in a car and an anti-crime patrol van blocked us, pulled us out of the car and all. I get stopped more times on the streets when I’m in the company of guys. We don’t look crooked, yet…

Did this happen here in Lagos too?

No, in Abuja. This is the first time I’m getting arrested in Lagos. I’ve been stopped and searched severally but never been taken to the station. By the time I came out of the cell, [size=14pt]the AC asked me if the Sergeant rough handled me and I said, ‘no’. By now, his (the Sergeant’s) whole demeanour had changed and it was funny. He was about to be detained and it looked like he was at my mercy.[/size]

So did you take back your pound of flesh?

I simply said, he did not harass me and that I only felt he should have asked questions rather than bundle me up at 11pm. But I’m grateful that  my phone wasn’t taken from me before help came my way. My SOS BBM (BlackBerry messages) to my friends saved me. They (the policemen) apologised afterwards and took me in a patrol van to my residence.

I remember one of them collected my number that he was going to call me the next day if anything came up.

Do you remember his name?

(Reaches for his phone and scrolls through contacts) Yes, they kept calling him Oga Solo.

Have you both spoken since then?

Yes he called me the next morning to find out if I was okay and then he apologised again.

About how long was the entire police incidence?

About two hours.

So are we expecting a song from this experience?

You know its so funny because two of the songs on my coming album actually addresses issues like this. Maybe because of past experiences, both personal and those of friends. These things can happen to anybody. I’m a celebrity, yet I got picked up for walking around in my neighbourhood at night.

When will the ‘Boiz don Hammer’ album drop?

August, unfailingly. Everything is looking good. We’re waiting for Clarence Peters to come back from America this week so we can shoot the video for the song.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/08/07/my-2hr-ordeal-in-police-cell-terry-tha-rapman/

Just when you would have thought things couldn't get more ridiculous with our police!
The country is better off without a police force and we need to pull down every single structure and rebuild from new.

That said, the story damn funny!
What a gay way for a policeman to arrest a rock hard male like himself.

Dumb Police Force.

Silly men

Beaf:


What a gay way for a policeman to arrest a rock hard male like himself.

You woulda loved it if you had been arrested that way wouldnt ya?!

Can we see the pix of  Terry?

If this is how they arrest in Naija, then I wanna be a cop Only arrest the sexy ones.  Mrs. Officer

OASN, Nigerian men/cops are just closet freaks.

Ileke-IdI:

Can we see the pix of  Terry?

If this is how they arrest in Naija, then I wanna be a cop Only arrest the sexy ones.  Mrs. Officer

OASN, Nigerian men/cops are just closet freaks.

You, you wanna be a cop abi? I will set a trap for you to arrest me; after dat, you go born like six very strong and healthy pikins in one week!

This is the dude sha.

Next is sit on people next - what happened to hand cuffs  - i forget, Nigeria police use tshirts to tie people's hand

Ha ha ha Is that a roll of quarters in your pocket, or are you just pleased to see me ?

Random arrest of innocent citizens can be checked by unannounced visits to Police stations by the Area Officer. Onovo should develop a reporting system that forces Area managers to randomly drop in on Police stations on a weekly basis. Anyone in cells without a proper charge sheet would be immediately released whilst the offending officer will be put on disciplinary.

These our police men r just a bunch of uniformed thugs. . .Like LASTMA like POLICE

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

i was arrested by these self-servicer in Lagos on DEC 2008 on my way to the airport to enugu

as i dey inside my cab; the police torch begin dey flash us down

i was thrown inside a van along like six more people

i had to bribe my way out with #4,000 for someone just came over to naija

fashola should really watch out for those abnormalities



hmmmmm what is self-service for goodness sake

these so called moderator and familly are destroying nl

yes i repeat those criminals not self-sevicer? what a hell

when Bush called em access of evil; why didnt u switch off your television

hmmmmmm fumming 

Similar thing happen to me last October near the Computer Village in Ikeja. I think the Police is just clueless!

Ibime:

Random arrest of innocent citizens can be checked by unannounced visits to Police stations by the Area Officer.

Area Officers have their cut on money made per day.

Most DPO's have their own team of cops and they must
meet the target for the day before reporting back to the office!

That is Lagos for you!

No the police is not clueless the people the citizens are the ones clueless. The police have arrest code. When they fail to use the code? the citizens should sue the police force. The people make the police.

Alot of Criminals get away with crime because the police dont use simple policing methods.

If i were the musician I would just sue the Nigerian police, but guess what would happen the same people would beg on behalf of the police, even traditional leaders will be called in to reinforce the begging.

^^^^^^

hahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa


ur ideas are questionable promptly speaking as far as Nigeria is concern

It reminds me of how yeye area f police use to raid Fela shrine and cart away whoever they find outside the shrine and its surrounding.Nothing seems to change for good in nigeria.

Nigeria is a  practical example of a country that goes backward instead of forward,the bacwardness is glaring in all spheres of nigerian life.

No the police is not clueless the people the citizens are the ones clueless. The police have arrest code. When they fail to use the code? the citizens should sue the police force. The people make the police.

Alot of Criminals get away with crime because the police dont use simple policing methods.

If i were the musician I would just sue the Nigerian police, but guess what would happen the same people would beg on behalf of the police, even traditional leaders will be called in to reinforce the begging.

cant get head or tail of that.

Its unfair and ridiculous to keep expecting too much from the underfunded, untrained and uncomputerized NPF operating in a failed environment.
Now, the detained policeman is likely to turn his face away when next he comes accross a criminal. . . . . reasons being that he has been intimidated and sabotaged by his superiors for carrying out their usual unlawful orders.

Questions we should ask ourselves:

1. Is the IG or whoever gave orders for the cop to be detained not aware of uncountable and unlawful arrests and detention of innocent citizen around the country?

2. How many cops have been punished for making unlawful arrests like this. . . . or, is he being punished cos a known figure is involved?

3. Is the IG aware that the police does not have an up to date tech and manpower to deal with arrests like this right on the spot?

4. Is the IG also aware that most unlawful arrests like this has been productive?

5. Could it be that the cop had to sit on Terry's lap cos he was not properly armed and equiped with a handcuff and a standard police vehicle?

hot female office like the one that arrested Lil Wayne would have been better.
"She put me in nah car, she cut off all the lights
She said I had the right to remain silent
Now I got her hollering sounding like a siren"

Beaf:

You, you wanna be a cop abi? I will set a trap for you to arrest me; after dat, you go born like six very strong and healthy pikins in one week!

This is the dude sha.

Yes oh. . . .  chaiiii, if you look Like Terry, I go for arrest you for the rest of your life. Six pikins? Only that much?

Ibime:

Random arrest of innocent citizens can be checked by unannounced visits to Police stations by the Area Officer. Onovo should develop a reporting system that forces Area managers to randomly drop in on Police stations on a weekly basis. Anyone in cells without a proper charge sheet would be immediately released whilst the offending officer will be put on disciplinary.

you must be confusin onovo with a competent officer

if its not featured in some movie techno thriller eg satelittes, it will never occur to him

besides all those arrests constitute supplementary income

new years eve two years ago, police in festac rounded people up so they could raise money for new year party or some such. my cousin was one of those rounded up. they actually had a quota and a target - one of the people they picked up was a 'pesin' and the next thing they were calling their oga to say that the money would not be complete as they had someone they had to let go

ever since a friend of mine was arrested and paraded as an armed robber back in school for fighting a 'plain clothes officer' who failed to identify himself before jumping on my friend, i have always been wary of those men in black - government sanctioned murderers, thieves and rapists