Nigerian singer and songwriter Raoul John Njeng-Njeng, better known as Skales, has shared a harrowing account of his time in police detention, where he was forced to perform one of his popular songs in exchange for basic privileges.
The incident occurred after Skales and his manager allegedly offended a powerful billionaire, leading to a business dispute that escalated into a police case.
According to Skales during an interview with Zikoko media, he was arrested along with his manager and taken to a police station. Despite being told he could leave after his manager’s statement was taken, Skales refused to abandon his manager and opted to stay with him in the cell.
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He said: “They arrested my manager and told me to go home. I said never. So I followed them to the police station. When they got his statement, they told me I had to sleep in the cell.”
Inside the cell, Skales’ celebrity status was quickly recognized by one of the inmates, who asked him about the circumstances surrounding his arrest. “When I got there, one guy said, ‘You look like Skales,’ and I said, ‘Yes, it’s me.’ He asked, ‘What happened? Did you kill someone?’ I told him my story. He said I needed to go see the boss of the cell, or the boys would deal with me.”
The “boss of the cell” demanded that Skales perform one of his songs in exchange for access to a mat to sleep on. “I performed shamelessly for survival. After the performance, they gave me a mat.”
Skales also shed light on the inhumane conditions within the cell, revealing that inmates were expected to send money to the police for food, or else they would go hungry. “What they do in the cell is that you must send money to the police for food, or else you won’t eat.”
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