Police accused of “weaponizing state power” as activist musician faces arrest without investigation
Popular Nigerian rapper and social justice advocate Ruggedman has become the latest flashpoint in Nigeria’s ongoing tension between artists and authorities after being detained at Lagos’ State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) over a musicians’ union leadership dispute. The arrest of the artist born Michael Ugochukwu Stephens – known for his outspoken activism – has ignited fury across social media, with civil rights groups condemning what they call the alarming trend of silencing entertainment industry voices through police intimidation.
Human rights investigator Harrison Gwamnishu broke the news Wednesday via Twitter, alleging the musician was being “maltreated” at Panti police station on orders from a Deputy Commissioner without due process. “No proper investigation has been concluded,” Gwamnishu stressed about the detention linked to internal conflicts within the Performing Musicians Employers’ Association of Nigeria (PMAN).
The once-respected artists’ union has been plagued by years of infighting, corruption allegations, and legal battles over its governance – struggles that now appear to have ensnared one of Nigeria’s most socially conscious musical figures.
As calls for transparency grow louder, authorities have remained conspicuously silent – Lagos police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin failed to respond to multiple inquiries about the controversial arrest. The incident marks another troubling chapter in Nigeria’s strained relationship between creative professionals and law enforcement, with Ruggedman’s detention serving as a stark reminder of the precarious position of artist-activists in Africa’s most populous democracy.
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