A final year student of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Oyo state, Olushola Babatunde, who was arrested for creating a parody Twitter account of former President Goodluck Jonathan, has narrated his experience, following his release.
Shola who was allegedly arrested on the orders of Goodluck Jonathan was denied access to a lawyer while he stayed in detention for almost 90 days.
In a thread he created on Friday, August 21, Babatunde explained that he was not trying to impersonate the former Nigerian president because he indicated in his Twitter bio that it was a parody account.
He added that he shared a tweet on May 5 and was arrested on May 23 after his telecommunication service provider gave them his information without his consent.
Read full story below:
Spent almost 90 days in detention for creating a parody account — A thread 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼 So I made a tweet about the Ex president Dr Goodluck Jonathan on the 5th of may around 5:32pm converting my personal already-grown account into parody pic.twitter.com/6LR663Uvi9— Shola (@jayyth3dope) August 21, 2020
I retained my @, my cover picture and bio and still went further to make more clarification on my bio that it wasn’t the Ex president (Not GEJ) in which parody even allows you to go as far as changing your @ to a similar @ since no two accounts can have the same @— Shola (@jayyth3dope) August 21, 2020
Now, what’s parody? A parody account is a type of profile on social media that is named after popular persons and used mainly for comic purposes. Twitter rules allow for parody accounts on the condition that the operator of the account indicates this on his profile page.— Shola (@jayyth3dope) August 21, 2020
For those saying why didn’t I use my dad’s name & photo, some also asked why I had to use a popular person like him but I guess the definition to parody says it all. There was a question on the TL “who else noticed Nigeria has been boring ever since Buhari became the president?”— Shola (@jayyth3dope) August 21, 2020
So I quoted the tweet saying “my wife was always the joke” Truth be told, impersonating the ex president or defrauding tweeps on here with his picture on my avi never crossed my mind. I only made a harmless tweet that very evening but unfortunately I got arrested May 23rd😩😩❤️ pic.twitter.com/YvuSZPgTpz— Shola (@jayyth3dope) August 21, 2020
Funny enough, I already forgot that I even made such a tweet by then. The telecommunications service provider gave out my data without my consent which is real bad, my privacy was invaded. The got 5 numbers in which my uncle’s digit was among. They got to uncle’s place with guns— Shola (@jayyth3dope) August 21, 2020
He had to call me to come over without telling me the police were around, I went and got arrested. One of the officers was rough-handling my jean, trying to drag me out so I told him not to embarrass me in public since I wasn’t stressing nobody. I was going with them peacefully— Shola (@jayyth3dope) August 21, 2020
I kept on asking “why did you come for me?” “Why did I do wrong?” but they said nothing til I got to the SARS station in ogbomoso, they took my phone & power bank from me as exhibits in which both exhibits are still with the Police til now. I had to get a new phone when I got out— Shola (@jayyth3dope) August 21, 2020
My uncle came around, I told him to go back home that I’d settle it soon, that it was something small. Never knew I was going on a 3months vacation without bae😭😭💔 I was later taken to Dugbe SARS in Ibadan that late night & got detained, slept on urine til the next morning— Shola (@jayyth3dope) August 21, 2020
I felt so scared & uncomfortable cos I’ve never been arrested before my whole life. Then, an officer came in the morning with the leg curves like I was gonna run and chained my legs. I told him “Sir, I didn’t kiII anybody, why this?” we then left for Abuja that morning by road.— Shola (@jayyth3dope) August 21, 2020
Got detained in asokoro division at first where I was slapped repeatedly as soon as I got in that Sunday night, they told me to lift my hands up, raise one leg up and start jumping around screaming “I don come” “I don come” nonstop . I was almost crying tbh, like tf?😭😭😭— Shola (@jayyth3dope) August 21, 2020
They call the cell name “Kalakuta republic” and the older cell mates oppress the new ones big time. Stayed for 4days til I met with the IGP and was then detained in the FCIID Abuja. Stayed one month behind bars before I was charged to court, no one understood me when I say parody— Shola (@jayyth3dope) August 21, 2020
I’m still itching & scratching badly til now since we all cover our bodies with the same bed cover which over 500 cell mates’ have used without washing if I’m not exaggerating. A lot of insects in it which bites , didn’t sweat for months (no sun), was taken away from my family— Shola (@jayyth3dope) August 21, 2020
Fell sick while I was behind bars, couple times. I was treated tho cos my ipo took me to the clinic once & also got drugs for me once, I wasn’t tortured by the police physically. I sat & ate with murderers which made my nightmares horrific, Got 2 square meals daily, malnourished— Shola (@jayyth3dope) August 21, 2020
So I had to use to money to buy food since they food being provider made me purge always which I complained about. Funny enough I became the number 3 in the cell, Saw over 100 suspects leave. People with bigger cases gone come and go before me, terrifying 😭😭💔— Shola (@jayyth3dope) August 21, 2020
And no suspects is to be detained for more than 24-48 hours💔 It got to a point, I felt forsook but God never forsook me. I had God, my family & friends support. It reshaped my relationship with God tho. A lot of people sent money, did all in their power to get me out of the mess— Shola (@jayyth3dope) August 21, 2020
Finally, let it be known that I defrauded nobody on here. I also in no way tried to impersonate nor defame his character. I’m not a criminal and that’s just the truth. I’m not a criminal.— Shola (@jayyth3dope) August 21, 2020
To the money my family wasted, my mental health which has been messed with, & everything I’ve lost in the process; 3months of my life, my twitter account & every other thing, I know God will restore them back. It actually feels good to be free, I’m grateful #SholaIsFree 😭😭❤️— Shola (@jayyth3dope) August 21, 2020
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