Renowned Afropop musician Stanley Omah Didia, better known as Omah Lay, recently shared the harrowing experience of his incarceration in Uganda's jail four years ago.
Omah Lay and Tems were invited for a performance in Uganda in 2020, but their visit took an unexpected turn as they were detained and charged following their performance. According to Ugandan authorities, both Nigerian artists violated COVID-19 social rules and regulations that were in place at the time.
Omah Lay opened up about the ordeal in an interview with The Beat FM, London, revealing that he spent two days in prison and expressing gratitude to a prison warden who was also a fan. The 'Damn' hitmaker shared that the warden intervened when there was an attempt to shave his hair, preventing an undesirable outcome.
Reflecting on the incident, Omah Lay acknowledged the challenging time but considered it an essential part of his musical journey. He emphasized that the experience forged a strong relationship with Tems and her manager, Muyiwa Awoniyi. According to Omah Lay, Muyiwa was in the same cell with him, creating a unique bond during their shared adversity.
Recalling the events, Omah Lay stated, "We were in Uganda for a show during the pandemic. We had paperwork to perform but for some reason, we got arrested after performing. And we are sent to jail. We were in jail for two days. It was just a very horrible experience. I wouldn’t want anybody to go through that. They were going to cut my hair, I wore a prison uniform. They were so close to cutting my hair but the person who was in charge of the prison was a fan of my music. He got us a nice spot in jail and took care of us."