Nigerian artist Tems recently shared her harrowing ordeal of being arrested and confined to a cramped prison cell in Uganda. In an interview with Angie Martinez, she recounted her experience.

Initially, when she was apprehended at her hotel, Tems thought it was a joke, but her apprehension became painfully real when she was handed a foul-smelling and dirty prison uniform. At that moment, the gravity of her situation dawned upon her, and she feared for her survival.

The Grammy award-winning singer described her prison cell as incredibly small, with nothing more than a bare floor, a few blankets, and some tissues. She spent two grueling days isolated from the outside world, completely unaware of her location.

Upon receiving her repugnant prison attire, Tems couldn't help but break down in tears. She was left in the dark, uncertain of when or if she would be released.

During her time in confinement, Tems formed connections with other female inmates, many of whom were unjustly detained for minor infractions, some of which were the result of corruption among prison guards.

Following a performance in Uganda on December 12, 2020, Tems and another artist were accused of breaking COVID-19 regulations, which led to this ordeal.

In her words: “I thought I wasn’t gonna come out. I thought I was seeing it for a reason like maybe I was meant to help the people. I was settling in because I adapted real quick and as I was walking in I started to cry because they gave me my uniform and it stunk because they don’t wash it. It was a small room and there was nothing, there’s just the floor they give you blankets and tissues and you’re just on the floor, no bed and I did it for two days. I didn’t even know I was going to get out, I didn’t have any ears on the ground nobody told me anything. Outside everyone was like ‘free Tems, free Omah lay but inside I was just hopeful, waiting.”