Detained without trial for 15 years for allegedly killing his boss, Pa
Rilwane, a NADECO chieftain , Elvis Irenua, 42, who was curiously
released recently, for the first time recounts his experience . Speaking
exclusively to Sunday Sun, he zeroed down on his life behind bars ,his
projections ahead and how he is picking the bits and pieces of his life
.Excerpts:
So, as you were growing up which of your birthdays do you remember most?
Well,
I grew up in family where birthdays weren't really an issue so I can't
really remember any particular birthday celebrations. My parents were
more interested in what you would make out of your life rather than
celebrations.
As an adult, did your friends celebrate your your birthdays with you?
I think the one I would remember most was the last one I celebrated in there. That was this year.
How did it go?
Well,
it wasn't really a celebration though but in the course of talking in
the church, I made mention that I was given a date at the court which
fell on January 13th ,my birthday and a lot of people got to know. So, a
lot of people got to know.
A friend of mine named Hillary
bought me a card and a can of malt. I was really shocked, even though he
was in there with me but he is free now. I really appreciated it, even
though it was little but I really appreciated because he was just a
stranger I met during the cause of my ordeal.
Was it collectively signed or just from someone?
Just
one person and also I think the prison ministry of house on the rock,
they also sent me card, gift and a Bible .My sister here also got me a
book. I think those
So, how did you feel then?
I think a
prophecy had gone ahead that before then that was July last year. We had
a seven days annual programme, I think it was a Saturday or Sunday of
it and my elder brother came into the church while I was on the pulpit.
So I had to talk to the people in charge to let him in since I couldn't
leave the pulpit then. So when they asked him when do you want your
brother home and he said I want my brother now, now. Then a prophecy was
released that definitely I won't be here and so when I was celebrating
my birthday this year. I knew it was going to be the last in the prison.
Who gave the prophecy, was it you?
The
chaplain general, prison fellowship Nigeria gave the prophecy. Of
course there have been several prophecies before then. Several, somebody
told me first of January that was last year, that God told him that I
won't be in prisons at the end of June. I think the person interpreted
it his own way. Probably he didn't know whether it was June 2010 or 2009
God meant. But I still left before the end of June. So you see God does
speak to people.
You are a now a pastor?
I guess am one now
because I was the head of the bible research institute then. I was the
head for about 12 years and my duty was to train other pastors.
Are you thinking of going into full ministry?
At the moment ,that will be part time and not full time.
Aside from the ministry, what have you been doing?
Well,
I just got out- 21 days ago that is about three weeks now. Am still
trying to get a place of my own, and I also spoke with a friend lately
that I was interested in doing transport business and laundry. I want to
sit down and go about it quietly. I already know what I want to do. But
I have to raise funds and get clientele too.
What type of transport business?
It's
commuter- taxi, but I also want to get into laundry business. Although I
have other great business ideas but those ones involve big money but
since I don't have such money now, I will have to wait.
While you were in prisons did you go to school?
Yes,
presently am in 200 level at National Open University. I am studying
Criminology and Security Studies. I'm also doing another programme in
the US, a bachelors degree programme in Religious Studies. You know that
you can conclude anytime you like but I pray I will be able to conclude
it this year.
Was your choice of study influenced by your past experience?
Not really. But to an extent,yes . But actually I wanted to read Law before I got into the prison.
Are going to continue with it?
Yes. By the way, I had also asked my friend if I'll be able to do part time in English at Unilag.
So , you 're going to have your hands full?
Yes, I don't have time anymore. I guess I want to catch up on lost times.
What was on your mind when the Judge released you?
Well,
I was really tired of the place-very, very tired. I needed to get out.
You know, sometimes the whole thing gets to you to a point that you ask
that this thing should just stop. But the night before, I just packed
the few books I had, the clothes that were fairly new. Like this one
now(T-shirt), a friend who traveled abroad bought it for me. I only wore
it once and I felt it would still be nice wearing it out there. I just
put a few of them in the box and I was acting on faith and there were
assurances in my spirit. I knew I wasn't going back there.
Didn't you feel it was one of the routines?
Yeah,
sometimes while you are hoping, you prepare for the worst too. And God
has helped me to develop a resilient spirit over the years. I was sure I
was going to go out. But if it had gone otherwise, I wouldn't have
killed myself. I would just have just waited.
Have you always been a patient person or you learnt it in prison?
Well,
I'll say I learnt it there. But usually I will say am that kind of
person that can't stay in a place for too long doing nothing. I wasn't
patient as far that is concerned. But when am attacking a problem and I
need to sit down and confront it, I can be patient.
How did you come to terms or did you accept it as bad fate?
I
never wanted to accept it as fate because, number one, I knew I didn't
do it. So, I told God if you will vindicate me, I will serve you. So, I
was always looking out for freedom. I knew it would end one day but how
long, I didn't know. Even though God showed me it was going to be a very
long journey, I didn't bargain it. I didn't know it will be this long.
But as each day came, I developed the spirit to survive. Now I didn't
want to be just a survivor because there were a lot of people in there
who survived indeed but they were broken mentally and emotionally. Some
even lost their mind, I had seen those things and I didn't want that to
happen to me. So,I made up my mind that I wasn't only going to survive
but that I wills also come out as a victor.
How did you cope all through?
I
learnt something in life- the stronger your spirit is in the midst of a
crisis or a problem- the easier that problem is- the quicker you get
out. I learnt that very early in life. So, I needed to feed my spirit
with positive thinking. A situation was described in the Bible: I think
somewhere in Isaiah 57 verse 10. The people refused to say there is no
hope, even though they were weary…Like I told you, I read a lot of
books. I borrowed a lot and have returned several.
Do they have library there?
No,
I had my own books and some people brought books for us. The library we
have there was … there are quite a few books like the Encyclopedia
Britanica. I think another book by Olisa Abgakoba. And there are really
very old books in there.
Did the authorities allow people to bring in books?
Yes, and I was feeding my spirit with those books.
The
only thing I won't read is pornography, I kept telling every one in the
church. I read a whole lot of books, in as much as it was written with
ink .There was day I saw a book from the Grail Message .It had to do
with Christ's second coming. I just flipped through and I saw Christ
second coming in the content, and I told the man I like to read the book
and he said you are a pastor you can't read this book. I asked him why
not and he eventually gave it to me .The books helped me create my own
world.
I read John Gresham, Cater Ray, Daniel Steel and others.
Tell us about the routine of everyday life in prison?
Well,
before I got fully involved in managing the affairs of the inmates and
relating with the warders more,just two things took my time, and they
were Church activities and my books. I also spent my time reading the
Bible too. I remember a day I spent eight hours reading the Bible-from
nine in the morning to five .By the time I stood up, my neck and back
were aching me.
Now that you are out, your faith will be tested. Do you think you will still be standing strong?
It
has already been tested. I'm not a religious person, I just love God.
In the area of faith being tested, maybe financial limitations, meeting
with opposition and maybe the stigma of going to prison. For me, I won't
let those things pull me down. I will never.
You mentioned stigma, have you been faced with it?
I
wouldn't say I have been stigmatized because the truth is,except I tell
you I came from prison ,you won't know. I just go about my thing. I
love appearing neat and being myself. And I don't say more than I
should. When I have to teach in church, preach or counsel somebody, I
love being underestimated. It brings out the best with me.
You went to Benin recently, who did you meet?
Yes,
I went home. I met virtually everybody. I still met my grand mum. She
is still alive. Funny enough, I was told the day I was released, nobody
knew because at a point I wasn't telling anyone back home what I was
going through anymore. I bore it all alone. So, I was told that the day I
was released, my grand mum just woke up in the morning and said 'Oh!
God,does it mean I will not see my son before I die? I think maybe the
spirit must have whispered to her and everyone was like don't worry he
would come out soon.
She said she knew I would come but she was asking how long?
But later when I was released and she was told, as frail as she was she rolled on the floor. When she saw me she was overjoyed.
What about Your mum?
She
is fine. I also saw her she held me, embraced me, she looked at me
again. At about three, four, five times, she just kept doing it. Even my
sisters, they were very small when I left but they are now big. In
fact, all of them are married now. Some of them don't even know my face
because it was a long time.
You never said anything about your father?
Well,
my dad died before the whole thing. But I guess if he was alive, this
wouldn't have happened to me. My father had so many plans for my elder
brother and myself. Although he had several other children but my elder
brother and I were very close to his heart. It was from him that I
learnt that a parent could plan for his kids' education before his
death. But he died
He had an accident in 3rd of February 1983.
The
only time I remembered him while in there was when I felt that I
probably I wouldn't have been working for somebody because I would
probably have gone to school and then get into the family business. At a
time he was a major distributor to most of the bottling companies we
had at that time. I'm not a silver spoon kid but I had a comfortable
upbringing but his death distorted everything. We had to struggle and
earn money. Going in there really taught me that there is another side
of life.
What about your girlfriends?
I think that plural is
wrong. But naturally one may have had a lot of friend's -male and
female. But one of them will be very special. I actually had one before I
had this problem and we were planning marriage. December of 1995 was
supposed to be the introduction but it was never to be. I was picked up
on 4th of December. I told her to move on and that she would meet
somebody better than I am.
What' s her name?
She is Uromo.
Does she know you are out now?
I have not heard from her. My prayer for her is to move on, to be alive and happy.
Since you want to catch up on lost times, are you thinking of women, settling down?
I
can rush ever other thing but not marriage. I will take my time. I went
for a prayer programme and somebody told my friend, I like this guy but
I told my friend. 'I beg, that's not my priority now'. I believe other
things will have to come first before women because I'm one of those who
strongly believe that women are not meant to suffer. Naturally, I have a
picture of what I want my family to be, the kind structure and the way I
want to run it. I already have a mental picture of it.
What food did you miss?
I
would say I missed pounded yam and Starch. I missed Banga soup.
`Immediately I got to Benin and I spoke to my brother's wife that I have
not eaten Banga and Starch in a long time and I told her I don't mind
eating it every day till I go back to Lagos. And God bless her, and she
did that.
Looking at your biceps, you must have worked out a lot in prison?
I
think it was God. Hygienically, I can say I did because you won't know
when you pick up things. Imagine an environment where you are crammed up
with a lot of people, you pick diseases there. But as things later
improved, the hygiene got better. Throughout, I had a room to myself.
You know, a woman in the house is considered a witch, not that she flies
but because she had stayed long and knows everything. They call her
that. You know, when you stay long in a place, you develop an adaptive
intelligence.
But at first, how many were you in a room?
When
I first got in there ,we were packed in a small cubicle .It was in the
days when drugs peddlers were put behind bars ,and even when they
finished their sentence, they were not allowed to go. They said the PRC
had to sign. So we could be about eighteen or nineteen in a room. But
when Abacha died and Abdulsalam came in, the place was decongested, and
so we had little space. And , of course, the police were also bringing
in people everyday .
We were told that some people took ill and died while in prison, did they notify their relatives?
Well,
all kind of characters are in prison. God forbid, if I had died there
,my family would have asked. You must notify them before doing things.
But some young men just walked away from home. Nobody knows where they
are and when the police arrested them. Probably they were sleeping under
the bridge or shops and then the police came to raid them. That would
be difficult for the prisons authorities to locate their relations. Even
when I got back to Benin,it took a while for me to recognize the place
because the place had changed.
So, how was the Benin you used to know?
Of
course, it is changed. Even when you travel and you leave home for
sometime, there will be a lot of changes here and there. It looked
strange when I go there. The roads are bad and some are still being
construction.
What about those people picked up by the police, did they allow them reach out to their relations?
Like
I said, some have lost contact with their families. Not too long ago,
they raided some people at the ports. And those who were raided were
conductors who plied the area. Others had been released but it remained
just one guy there and he walked to me .I asked him were are you people.
And he said he had been away from home for so long and he doesn't know
where his relations are. He was such a young boy. The money was not the
bail because we could get some churches or NGO's to do that but who will
sign for him.
But isn't it the responsibilities of the prisons to find out where they are from?
Even
if I give you address of my father's house in Benin and they went there
and know one remembers me. Everybody in that house now are tenants. You
won't meet any of my blood brothers there. So a lot of things are
really working against them.
Did you have access to television, radio, and papers?
Those are contrabands.
But outside Nigeria they have a common room where they watch television?
Yes
when we first go there they showed films to once a week and that was on
Friday. Before now we were always in permanent lock up and released
maybe for fifteen minutes a day. And when the weather changes then they
lock us up for the rest of the day. If it rained for seven days you
won't move an inch. But as things began to improve they began to treat
people like human beings. An NGO was bringing in their projector then,
and then television. When that got bad, we had to approach people to buy
us a TV. But what we watched then was films because the television was
not censored. The only time they released the area was maybe during
world cup like this and after that they take it back.
So, you don't listen to news too?
What
if you are watching the television and they announce on television that
there is tsunami in your town and then the person collapse or dies. So
they don't want any dead body on their neck. For instance there was a
time they said my mum appeared in the newspaper and I begged the warders
to help me buy it but they said no and that even if they would they
would only cut out the place for me.
So how did you cope with studying in prisons?
I
depended on God and the course materials form school. I also used
Encarta it helped me a lot especially in definitions and likes. I read
and pray and I expect God to help me through.
During that time 15 minutes what do you do?
We
just take a shower and go back. But that has improved especially in
maximum. You are opened in the morning till about 1.30 and go back and
take your siesta and later you are at 4.00 you are opened again.
The place is now liberalized?
Of
course, but prison is prison. But then they were having more death on
their hands. If you want to play ball you do that when it is quarter to
six you have to go back to your block.
Did they allow visits?
Sure, they do.
What was the frequency?
When
we first came in it was just once in a month, now it is three times a
week. Then one controller came and realized the rush for those days was
too much and he just said lets do it everyday.
Do they monitor your discussion?
They do to an extent but if they know that you are not someone who is problematic they might decide to live you.
What is the duration of the visit?
Its about fifteen minutes
What do you feel about this country after all what happened to you?
I
do not love this country but I don't hate this country too because I
believe there is hope for this country. If we do what is right. Like I
told you the police stopped me, he had to go into my wallet and he
checked everything I had on and he went through my phone. He shouldn't
have done that but I also know that if I had protested he might as well
conclude am an armed robber and shoot.
Before I try to explain
myself, it is either am dead or back in prison. He invaded my privacy
but in civilized society you don't do that. Until we allow law to
prevail in this country then we can't move forward. In a movie I watched
recently somebody quoted and said 'when we care for each other we loose
our humanity'. Now you would discover as far as that man is concerned
he is doing his job but when it gets to point that you start scrolling
through my messages then there is a problem.
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