A Nigerian man has narrated how his family tricked him into a prayer centre and held him there. Bayo Salami lives in the United States. He returned to Nigeria and asked to see the house he had been funding. His family said it was still under construction. They then said they wanted to take him for prayers before he returned. He agreed. They took him to an Alfa’s place. Inside, the Alfa pushed him into a room. He found people who had been held there for six months to a year. The conditions were terrible.
Unregulated prayer and rehabilitation centres are a recurring problem in Nigeria. In 2019, the Islamic Movement in Nigeria alleged that hundreds of members were held in detention. In 2022, a facility in Kaduna was shut after inmates were found chained. In 2023, the police raided a church in Lagos where people were held against their will. The pattern reflects weak regulation and desperate families. Relatives hand over members to clerics for spiritual intervention. The centres operate outside the law. No one audits them. No one inspects them. The inmates cannot leave.
Salami said he had been held for 17 days. The reason given was that he smokes cigarettes. “Inside the Bible, there is no part against cigarettes,” he said. He said he is not a drunkard. He described his appearance as that of a homeless man. He insisted he is not insane. He said he had been abroad for 23 years in total.
His account has not been independently verified. The centre has not been named. The family has not commented. The police have not announced an investigation. The video of his testimony circulated online. He spoke with visible distress. He asked to be released.
The family’s decision reflects a broader social pattern. Relatives often send members to prayer centres for behaviours they consider unacceptable. Smoking, drinking, drug use, mental illness and rebellion are treated as spiritual problems. The cleric is seen as the authority. The victim has no legal recourse. The centre may charge fees. It may keep the person for months. There is no oversight.
The legal position is clear. Holding a person against their will is false imprisonment. It is a criminal offence under Nigerian law. The police can act. The courts can award damages. In practice, victims rarely report. They fear stigma. They fear their families. They fear the cleric’s influence.
Winners: The centre, which gains fees and control. The family, which believes it has solved a problem. The cleric, who gains authority. Losers: Bayo Salami, who lost 17 days of his life. His family, if the case attracts legal scrutiny. The centre, if the law is enforced. Nigerians abroad, who face these risks when they return. The rule of law, which is weak.
Bottom Line: A man was held for smoking. He was freed after 17 days. He is not the first. The centres operate openly. The law prohibits false imprisonment. The police have powers. They rarely act. Families must stop outsourcing discipline to clerics. The law must be enforced. Until then, more people will be held.