If going to prison could be a nice experience in some countries; it can’t be in Nigeria. For the daughter of the former Oyo state governor, Kemi Olunloyo, 2017 will be a year what she experienced will forever be in her memory.
Recall that the blogger was sent to Port Harcourt Maximum Prison for alleged cybercrime charges and defamation of character after accusing Pastor David Ibiyeomie of Salvation Ministries of adultery. She was remanded in custody three times.
In an exclusive interview with the Punch newspaper, the popular blogger shared her experience in the prison.
Narrating an incident where she almost died in prison due to an asthma attack, she said “The prison has an infirmary and also a pharmacy; it is NGOs that provide drugs for the pharmacy. I had a massive asthma attack during my stay, but the prison did not have drugs for asthmatic patients, it was one of the prison workers that provided N1,500 that they used to buy inhaler for me. If not, I would have died there. It was after I protested that they began to stock the pharmacy with asthma drugs. The prison workers are trying but the government needs to upgrade the prison.”
Olunloyo also revealed that she contracted many diseases and incurred medical bills of about N7m, but had been able to raise N1.2m courtesy of Nigerians who love and sympathise with her.
She said “I contracted eye infections because of the dirty water that we bathed with. A two-time fraudster convicted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Chioma, attacked me and put her finger in my eyes, simply because I warned her to stop disposing her chewing gum and other dirt under my bunk whenever she came to visit her friend who was in my room.
“Since then, my eyes have not been the same. Also, when I visited the ENT (ear, nose and throat) specialists, they saw cotton wool stuck in my ears. My teeth were also damaged due to the food we were served. I have to undergo a root canal procedure. I slept on the floor for about a month because there was no bed space, the prison cells were crowded, so it was when someone was released that I got a bed space.
“Now I am experiencing serious waste pains because I had a back surgery in America in 2005. I also contracted toilet infections and Sexually Transmitted Infections from the toilet seats. Even though I put toilet paper on the toilet seats and poured disinfectant on the toilet seat, I still contracted diseases. I have boils at my pubic region. The toilet was very dirty. If I wanted to use the toilet, I would have to give Chidinma or any other girl I could find, about N1,000 so that they could help me wash the toilet very well before I could use it. But despite all that, I still contracted diseases.”
