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Nigerian singer Tems has reflected on the time she was imprisoned in Uganda back in 2020, and revealed that she feels honoured to have experienced that.
In a recent profile with ESMagazine, the singer recalled her experience being holed up in a small cell with multiple other women, and being fearful of getting beaten up if she made a mistake.
"Prison was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I actually feel honoured to have had because otherwise, I would never have thought about these people, and to be in their presence was very humbling," she said.
‘I asked one of the girls there, “Do they beat people up here? Am I gonna be beat up?' And she was like, 'Only if you misbehave.’"
Recall that Tems and fellow Nigerian singer Omah Lay were arrested in Uganda on Sunday, December 13, 2020, for performing at an "unauthorised concert" and disobeying COVID-19 protocols.
The singers were on Monday, December 14 arraigned in court on charges of doing “acts that are likely to cause the spread of infectious disease COVID-19.” They were then detained for two days in the cell.
After their release, Tems addressed the public via a press release, stressing that she had a first-hand experience of the struggles of women who were detained.
"The past week has been difficult but eye-opening for me. While I was being detained I met some amazing women and children, and my eyes were opened to the strife and hurt a lot of women are going through," she wrote.
A year after her release, Tems reflected on her arrest and expressed her gratitude for her experience.
"This very day Last Year, I was sitting in prison in Uganda bonding with women and kids. I almost can’t believe the things I’ve seen so far. All I can say is God is too awesome and He will always have the last and final laugh," she posted on X.