How a critic landed in police cell

A critic’s use of language in assessing a new publication has led him in trouble. The person concerned is Kehinde Olalemi, an Ibadan, Oyo State-based teacher who was recently detained by the police because of the consequences of the manner he handled the job.

The writer involved is a lecturer at the University of Ibadan, Dr. Keye Abiona, who recently added a new publication to the stock of his books. While Olalemi claims that Abiona is behind his woes, the latter explains that the unconventional manner the critic handled the job, which also entailed security threats to his (Abiona’s) life, forced him to involve the police.

Below are excerpts of their interviews with our correspondent.

I only pointed out grammatical blunders in his work – Olalemi

What do you do for a living?

I graduated from the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education in Lagos many years ago. I am now a freelance English Language teacher because I have not been able to secure a regular job. I teach pupils in tutorial classes around Ibadan, Oyo State.

How did you come in contact with Dr. Keye Abiona?

I have read many of his books but after reading a particular one, I was pissed off and I wondered how such a prolific writer could commit such infantile errors in one book. That was why I decided to send an SMS to him. The message was not meant to blackmail him or tarnish his image, I meant no harm. I never knew that he was a lecturer. The message was to tell him that although his works are okay, he committed grammatical blunders.

When did you send the text message to him?

I cannot remember precisely, but I think it was about four months ago. I never knew he would take it up the manner did. When the police called me, I told them where I was and they came to arrest me.

I was taken to NISER where another person was arrested in connection with the same offence I was accused of committing. We later went to the Eleyele police station.

How did you get Dr. Abiona’s number?

The numbers are printed on the books.

Did you try to call him?

I did not call him. I only sent him a message.

The writer said you called his number many times for some months and that each time he attempted to pick it, you would end the call?

When I sent the text message, it was in the evening. The following morning, Dr. Abiona called me and after a few seconds, he punctuated the discussion. The other person that was arrested with me, Augustine, an employee of NISER, was accused of similar offence. This could be the case of a mistaken identity. I did not call Dr. Abiona. I am too pre-occupied to do that. I don’t have time at all. I write and I edit works at publishing houses in Ibadan. I did not threaten Dr. Abiona.

The text message you sent to him read, ‘My Keye Abiona, you write Boko Haramic English, you are a fecund pen though. From Kehinde Olalemi, Africa’s best English teacher.’ What do you mean by Boko Haramic English?

Maybe that was the term that angered him. They are words I coined just to show how bad the English is. It’s just a connotation but a fair one.

Are you aware that Boko Haram is synonymous with deadly attacks on Nigerians?

In the Nigerian context, Boko Haram is tantamount to catastrophic and disastrous activities. Dr. Abiona should have asked me what I meant by the message. We have connotations and ambiguity, we can use the word ‘dog’ in a positive way. What I meant was bad English. A woman cautioned me last Sunday that my audience might not understand me with the way I use words. I coin words a lot. I have also coined Ebolaic English – meaning bad English.

Why did you jump to tendering an apology at the police station instead of defending yourself?

I stupidly thought that he would get more enraged if I tried to defend my action. Someone later cautioned me that I should not have tendered an apology at the station. I welcome his suggestion. I only wanted to end the matter as soon as possible. I thought if I defended myself, it could tarnish his image

Did he ask the police to detain you as a punishment for your action?

He was political in his remark. He told the police, ‘When you guys need me, call me.’ That was what he said. It could be nebulous, ambiguous and complex. He was euphemistic. It was the kind of phrase Justice George Showemimo used when he jailed the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo in 1963. He said it to exonerate himself. I heard him very well. It could mean, ‘Deal with him the way you want but I don’t have a hand in it.’

Were you charged to court by the police on Dr. Abiona’s behalf?

No. The following day, the investigating police officer told me that, for now, Dr. Abiona had nothing to do with me and that the case was now between me and the police. If Dr. Abiona wanted me to be released before he left, there was a way he should have addressed the police.

Did you contact anyone to come to your aid when you reached the station or after you realised that you were not going to be released immediately?

I was so stupid. I thought that no offence was committed. So, I did not expect that I would be detained. It did when I was about to be thrown into the cell, I called my wife and the proprietor of a tutorial school. I called other relatives and my father but I could not reach him on his line.