A Nigerian man based in South Africa, Bayo Salami, has shared a disturbing account of how his family allegedly confined him at an Islamic cleric’s residence under the guise of prayer when he returned to Nigeria to claim the property he had been financing.
In a video that went viral on Sunday, Salami appeared visibly shaken as he described being locked up and mistreated.
Currently residing in Cape Town, South Africa, Salami owns a business called Kuvuki Empire and has collaborated with prominent Nigerian artists. “I live in Cape Town, South Africa. My name is Bayo Salami. My company, Kuvuki Empire, is well-known, and I’ve organized major shows featuring Davido, Wizkid, Banky W, and M.I.,” he stated.
He explained that after spending 23 years abroad, he returned to Nigeria to check on properties he had been funding. However, his family claimed the properties were still under construction. Choosing not to dispute their claims, he informed them of his plans to return to South Africa, but they insisted he visit an Alfa (Islamic cleric) for prayers, assuring him it would bring divine blessings.
“I came to Nigeria due to family matters and inquired about my properties. They insisted they were still being developed. I didn’t argue and simply mentioned that I would return to where I came from,” he recalled.
Trusting his family, he agreed to visit the cleric. However, upon arrival, he was forced into a room and locked inside. There, he encountered other detainees who had been held for months in deplorable conditions.
“I saw people who had been there for six months to a year. The conditions were horrific,” he recounted.
Salami revealed that his family occasionally provided him with food, sometimes twice a day, but he had to abide by a strict hierarchy among the detainees. “Some had been there for eight months. There was a ranking system. Sometimes, when food was brought for me, others took it away.
“When my sister gave me a mat, they took it, saying it had to go to the head of the house. I complied because I didn’t want to sleep on the bare floor. Even if I was given money, the leader would take it, and we couldn’t protest,” he explained.
His family justified his detention by accusing him of smoking cigarettes. Expressing disbelief, he remarked, “I’ve been to Dubai, where alcohol is restricted but cigarette smoking is allowed. Neither the Quran nor the Bible forbids smoking. I am not an alcoholic.”
Salami further disclosed that he had lived in various countries over the past 23 years, including South Africa, Malaysia, Cyprus, as well as West African nations like Togo and Ghana.
.jpg)
