'If to say I listen to my mama dat day, I for no go jail' – Victim of EndSars protest regret afta six years in jail

23-year-old Wasiu Rasheed don finally regain freedom from Kirikiri correctional centre, six years afta security operatives arrest am as part of dos wey cause kasala during di October 2020 Endsars protest wey rock Nigeria.

Court declare Rasheed wey authorities arrest wen e be only 17 during di #Endsars protest, discharged and acquitted three weeks ago.

For inside one interview wit BBC Pidgin, e tok about im arrest, life inside Nigerian prison, im experience and im journey to freedom.

Wit sad expression and wit di look of pesin wey life don deal wit, Rasheed tok how security agents arrest am for di front of im house for Zamura, one ghetto area for Lagos state on 20 October, 2020.

Dem pack am along wit pipo wey carry weapons and throw am inside jail, despite beg from im mama and neighbours wey dey cry say e dey innocent and no dey part of di protesters.

"If to say I listen to my mama dat day, I for no fall victim of di protest. She warn me say make I no come outside, she say make I siddon for house, but I no listen," e tok wit regret.

For October 2020, thousands of young Nigerians enta streets to protest against police brutality, afta one video wey bin go viral wey show as di notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars) allegedly kill one man, dat video spark wetin later dey known as #EndSars demonstrations.

Di demonstrations rock di kontri for two weeks - and e make di govment agree to disband Sars and to set up judicial panels of inquiry to investigate di plenty allegations of abuse by officers.

According to Amnesty International, at least 56 pipo die across di kontri during di protests.

How e take happun

Rasheed spend ova five years for Kirikiri Correctional Centre, e describe am as di "worst years of im life".

Di day security agents wey dey known as OPC arrest Rasheed be like any oda normal day during di Endsars protest.

E bin dey go work, wen e realise say kasala don burst across di state and e go back house, na for im street, authorities arrest am join pipo wey claim to be protesters wey carry cutlass plus oda weapons.

"My friend come my house to call me for painting job. We carry bike from Zumura go Alaba, as we reach Alaba, we wan carry anoda car go di place wia we go work, dem come tell us say fight dey for Orile Amukoko, say jaguda pipo dey burn police station and oda tins. We turn back go house.

"As I reach house, I see pipo plenty for our street, dem carry cutlass, some hold knife. My mama stand outside, as I come down from bike, she drag me inside say make I no come outside, say dem dey fight. But I no listen, I later come outside, enta street, na from dia, OPC carry me for front of Zumura join pipo wey dey fight.

"My mama beg dem say make dem leave me, but dem no ansa. Dem carry me go Signal Barrack for Oyedeji, dem tie my hands and legs and put me for guardroom," Rasheed explain.

E say im mama come di following day to give am food but dem no allow her tok to am, e come again di next day, dem deny her access, "from dat time till now I neva see my mummy," e tok.

E dey there for two months, bifor dem transfer am go Kirikiri correctional centre.

E say authorities bin arrest am on top accuse of "raiding on street" but wen e appear for court, di offence on im charge sheet na "unlawful possession of firearms".

Most pipo wey dem arrest during di Endsars protest bin chop accuse of robbery or unlawful possession of fire arms, nothing like accuse based on endsars protest.

Life in Kirikiri

"If you no get money, you go suffer well-well for prison, but if you get money you go fit navigate am small, If you get money dem go keep you for beta place, you go get bed, you go get access to beta medication, etc" Rasheed tok.

Life for Kirikiri hard if you no get money to run tins.

For Rasheed, di experience dey terrible as e no get money or helper. E say di food wey dem dey give bad, di room dey congested as about 50 pipo fit dey inside one tiny room, no beta medical care for prisoners wey fall sick, di breeze, environment, sufferings just hang for air.

"Di food wey dem dey give us dey damage my body, e dey make us weak. Di beans dey get stone, dem go say make we chop am, If you no gree dem go flog you, say you must chop bean wit di stone. Dem dey serve di food inside one ration plate, no oil, no taste.

For afternoon, dem go serve ishapa and eba and for night, dem go give you two cups of garri".

On how e take survive di years, Rasheed say im dey help pipo wash clothes, run errands, sell tins, so dat im go fit get money to take care of imsef.

Journey to freedom

E dey show for court sometimes, but wen e appear dem no go even mention im case, and dem go later return am to jail. For 2025 na once e show for court.

For 2026, e begin dey pray and for March, dem call im name say im go appear for court.

On di day of di court appearance, e recount how e take pray and how im cellmates take pray for am say make di judgement favour am.

During di court proceedings, dem call im case and di judge declare am acquitted.

Na one Lagos-based advocacy group, Take It Back Movement, facilitate im release.

Di Lagos State Coordinator, Adekunle Taofeek tell BBC Pidgin say Rasheed regain im freedom on Wednesday, 4 March afta one Lagos court strike out im case.

E say di reason why Rasheed stay long for prison na becos di human rights lawyer Adeshina Ogunalana wey bin dey handle di case die, na anoda legal counsel wey e identify as Barrister Taiwo of Citizens Gavel take ova di case.

"Im dedication, professionalism and unwavering pursuit of justice play ogbonge role in achieving dis outcome," e tok.

Wat next

Afta im release, Rasheed neva see im mama. E go wia dem bin dey live bifor, but she no live for dey dia again her, neighbours tell am say, she pack comot and dem no know wia she pack go.

According to Rasheed, e say afta im arrest, neighbours tell am say pipo begin dey threaten im mother wit arrest and dat na why she pack.

Dem also say di mata break her heart, and make her fall very sick.

"Afta I regain my freedom, I no see my mother, I dey look for her. She bin get one wound for leg bifor I go prison, and she no too well. Dem tell me say my arrest affect her seriously, even if pipo dey greet her she no go ansa. She no too hold money like dat, and I dey fear."

Apart from say e miss im mama, Rasheed dey hopeful for di future. Bifor im arrest, e dey learn tailoring and e be painter. E tok say im don ready to go back to im tailoring, to learn more.

E also say im learn many tins for prison, how to cook, read and run business, and im ready to turn dis experience into sometin positive.

"I get two hands and legs, I ready to work."