Artist lands in prison after performance

Twelve-year-old Rofiat Azeez still looks petrified as she narrated the experience of how some men stormed their home, slapped and tore off her dress. 

The mother of the girl, Mrs. Kadijat Azeez, who abandoned her daughter in the fear of the moment, said she escaped the thugs by scaling the fence of their compound. Kadijat said: “The whole thing happened in a flash. 
Some men were shouting that they would burn down our house. They started chasing us. We escaped through the window, jumped the fence to the other side for safety.
When they couldn’t get us, some of them entered our house and destroyed a lot of things; they met my daughter at the staircase, who was ready to go to school and attacked her.” Residents in the area fumed over the attack of Rofiat. They insisted the hoodlums went too far by slapping and tearing off her uniform. It was gathered that the attack on the Azeez was connected to a visual artist, Jelili Atiku.
The said Atiku is family member. Apparently, some policemen from Ejigbo Police Division arrested Atiku after a programme in the area last week Thursday. Aside from Atiku, some women were also detained by the police. Some youths in the area on Monday, stormed the station, demanding that Atiku should be released since he had committed no offence. Atiku, a visual and performance artist, staged a performance on domestic terrorism in the area last week Thursday.
He was arrested on the evening of Sunday, because the traditional ruler allegedly felt that the performance was directed at him artist One of the youths, Abiola, said the police had first arrested an audiance Oluwa Fatai at the event on Friday before Atiku was apprehended on Sunday. He said: “Atiku is a multi-media visual and performance artist. He also won the 2015 Prince Claus Laureate in Amsterdam.
On Thursday, he staged a performance in Ejigbo on domestic terrorism. A traditional ruler in Ejigbo with the connivance of the police started arresting people after the performance. Jelili (Atiku) was arrested on Sunday.” The angry youths alleged that the traditional ruler in question uses members of the Oodua Peoples’ Congress and policemen to oppress residents.
A woman, Alhaja Daramola, said: “I was among those arrested and I was taken to court. The police said I was selling hemp. I do not sell such. There were four of us who were arrested, and the police acted on the order of a traditional ruler.” Rofiat, a Junior Secondary School (JSS2) student, said that she woke up on that fateful day, and was already prepared for school, when the hoodlums storm their apartment.
She counted: “I was on our staircase, about to go to school when the men came into our home. One of them slapped and tore off my dress. I started shouting. At that point l was afraid. I did not know what to do next. Others ransacked and destroyed things in our house. You can see pieces of broken glasses on the floor. They destroyed Jelili Atiku’s art works; turned the whole house upside down.” Rofiat said she hadn’t seen the men before that day.
She however added: “”But if I see anyone of them, I’ll be able to recognise them. They are among the people that are guarding the Chief. Other chiefs were downstairs when the men came into our apartment.” Kadijat said that her household didn’t offend anybody to the extent that their home would be attacked. Kadijat said brokenly: “I don’t know why they are after us. The whole thing started after Atiku Jelili did his recent performance on Sunday.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) instructed four policemen to come and arrest him. We are living in fear, our lives are in danger.” Another member of the family, Surajudeen Bileyemi, explained: “The whole thing has been on since they arrested Jelili Atiku. He was arrested because of the performance he did. A day after his arrest, our family members were at the police station. I was with them too, but I had to go home to pick some clothes. I was about to go back to the station when I saw some chiefs arresting and handing people over to the police.
I ran, but they came after us. We ran upstairs and went out through the second gate. They entered our house, ransacked the whole place. They met my younger sister on the way. They tore her clothes, and started molesting her.” Bileyemi said that he knew three of the men who carried out the operation at their home. Ealier, Oluwa Fatai (aka Fatai Abibu) was also arrested by Ejigbo Police for participating in the performance.
He was charged to court and remanded in Medium Security Prisons, Kirikiri, Apapa, Lagos. When New Telegraph newspaper visited Oluwa Fatai, at Medium Security Prisons, Kirikiri, Apapa, Lagos he declared. “I did not participate in Aragamago performance. I was riding my motorbike when I saw the performance at Coker Junction, Ejigbo. I decided to watch. The next day, around 5am, police and other people came to my house and arrested me. They said I took part in Aragamago performance. “The policeman asked me why the artists were hiding their faces.
When they came, they pointed to my house. I was taken to court and they brought me to Kirikiri Prisons.” New Telegraph Newspaper also visited the Ejigbo Divisional Police Headquarters, the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO), Supol IIelaboye, said: “They were arrested for disturbance of public peace.” The DOC further said he couldn’t disclose any other information because the case was already in court.
For over 11 years, Atiku has consistently use art as a medium for protest, to raise awareness and to bring about change around the world. His recent performance, titled Aragamago was staged on Thursday, January 14, 2016. The show dwells on domestic terrorism in Ejigbo, Lagos. A few days after the performance, he was arrested by policemen from Ejigbo Police Station. He was charged to court and reminded in Kirikiri Prison. He was charged to Magistrate Court 1, Ejigbo, presided over by Miss J.O.E Adeyemi.
The charge sheet, No; MM/E/07/16, states that Jelili Atiku, Lasisi Muraina, Adeola Goloba, Daramola Jelilat, Monsurat Fasola were given four count charge.