Head bloodied but not bowed

P  ERMIT me to begin this contribution with an apology for my disappearance from the literary and political scene for the last one month, this was due to circumstances beyond my control.

On October 21st, five days after my 56th birthday, I was arrested by the EFCC without an arrest warrant at the premises of the Federal High Court in Lagos, where I had been earlier granted bail. Thereafter, I was illegally detained by them without any detention order for 21 days.

Kindly note that this was after I had been detained by them for a gruelling 67 days 6 months ago (from 9th of May till July 15th), brought before the Federal High Court in Lagos, arraigned on spurious and politically-motivated charges and locked up in Ikoyi prison for a number of days whilst I attempted to perfect my court bail.

After perfecting bail, on 21st October, I was re-arrested and the whole nightmare began again: only this time, it was far more insidious and  worse.

Throughout the time of the second detention, I was kept in a dingy underground cell at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja where I met a number of other high profile opposition figures like Senator Bala Mohammed, the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory;  Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, the former Minister of State for Defence and Mr. Reuben Abati, the former spokesman to President Goodluck Jonathan.

During the course of my 21-day incarceration, my abductors did not ask me any questions or say one word to me other than to formally serve me with a new set of fresh criminal charges the morning after I got there, which I simply signed for.

After that, I heard nothing from them and I was told nothing, though I had daily visits to the medical clinic at the EFCC due to my deteriorating health.

Three weeks later, on November 10th, I was brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja and arraigned on yet another set of spurious, baseless and politically-motivated charges.

These ones were even more ridiculous and far-fetched than the first set in Lagos. I was falsely accused of receiving N26 million cash from the former National Security Advisor, Colonel Sambo Dasuki, for media work for the Jonathan administration in 2014.

Thankfully, I was granted bail by the court and I was detained at Kuje prison for a further four days whilst I attempted to perfect my bail.

At Kuje, I was kept in the terrorist wing of the prison which was built by the British government specifically for Boko Haram convicts and suspects.

The single cells and the entire terrorist section of the prison was pervaded by an eerie silence throughout the night and low tone whispers throughout the day. The only thing that broke the monotony of silence was the regular and constant call to Muslim prayers and the loud and regular cries of “Allahu Akbar”.

This was a frightful place and those that were locked up there were very dangerous and frightful people yet thankfully the Lord went ahead of me.

The single cells, though small, were clean, self-contained, well-ventilated, dry and very neat. The inmates were surprisingly very kind and friendly towards me and turned out to be my best friends and bodyguards whenever I toured the other parts of the prison.

I was very impressed with them and when I heard their stories and what some of them had been subjected to by the security forces and the state tears came to my eyes.

When I went to visit the great and brilliant freedom fighter, Nnamdi Kanu. My Boko Haram friends accompanied me to that meeting, drew a ten man security cordon around me when we entered the general population of the prison and waited outside as Nnamdi and I spoke.

They even accompanied me to Church on Sunday and waited outside until we finished.

Given what I have written about Boko Haram in the past and given my total aversion to any form of violence, terrorism and radical Islam,  this was a classic case of God granting me favour before my enemies.

Everyone dreaded them in that prison but I am proud to say that they were my friends and I will never forget their courage, kindness and fellowship for the rest of my life.

The enemy had placed me in the lions den but the lions and their prey became the best of friends. Not only were my Boko Haram section mates very good to me but so were the other inmates in the general prison population.

This was the doing of the Lord and it was marvellous in my sight. Throughout my travails I have never questioned God and I have been inspired and comforted by His word which says that in all things we must give thanks to Him.

I am innocent of all the charges and allegations, yet in all this I am not moved and neither can I ever be broken or silenced because, like the biblical Job, “I know that my Redeemer liveth”.

Like Shakespeare’s Macbeth, “my head is bloodied but not bowed” and “I shall fight until the flesh is hacked from my bones”.

And as that fight and struggle unfolds and unwinds I take solace in the powerful and beautiful words of the Victorian poet William Ernest Henley in my favourite poem titled ‘Invictus’ which was written in 1875. He wrote,

“Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate,

I am the captain of my soul”.

Like Nelson Mandela did at Robben Island prison every day for 26 years, I recited that poem three times a day on each and every day of my total of 90 days detention this year. And if I am arrested and detained again by the EFCC or any of President Buhari’s other numerous security or intelligence agencies I will continue to recite it. I have no fear of what men or satan can do to me and I trust and have faith in the God that I serve.

• Fani-Kayode is a former minister of Aviation.