Wizkid: I was arrested, slapped by police many times in varsity

Wizkid, a Nigerian Afrobeats singer, has recounted his experiences with police brutality, saying he was once arrested, harassed, and slapped by operatives in university before he became famous.

The 30-year-old music star brought the revelation to light during a recent interview with Naomi Campbell, an English model.

Wizkid said he was vocal about the recent #EndSARS protest because it was exciting that racism and police brutality gained a place in social discourse.

“I’m so happy that racism and police brutality has become part of our conversations. I felt great seeing what was happening. I’ve been harassed by the police countless times before I could get away from it for being me,” he said.

“I was in uni. I was harassed; arrested. Of course, I was dealt with, like, slapped by the police so many times. It was normal when that’s not supposed to be normal. For me, the fact that it (EndSARS) happened, I was so overjoyed.

“That’s why I was so vocal about it. It’s something that needs to stop. The kids are already here. We’re already dealing with no electricity, bad roads, bad governance, no jobs, terrible schools.”

According to him, police brutality shouldn’t compound existing problems plaguing the youth in Nigeria.

“When you get out of school and graduate, there’s still no job. The youth are dealing with these things daily. Going outside and getting arrested or being profiled shouldn’t be added to it,” the Afrobeats star added.

“That can be controlled so we need to fix that. It’s a terrible thing, man. People have lost their lives for the most ridiculous things. It was sad. That was just the right time for us to speak up. I will always speak my mind.”

Wizkid is an alumnus of the Lagos State University (LASU) and Lead City University, which is situated in Oyo state.