Nigerian rapper and singer, Panshak Zamani, popularly known as Ice Prince, has candidly shared his harrowing experience of being imprisoned in September 2022.
The artist was remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre following allegations of assaulting a police officer during a routine stop-and-search operation.
In an episode of the 'Listen' podcast, Ice Prince opened up about the incident that led to his arrest. He explained that the situation escalated from what he described as a joke with the police officer. "Whatever story you were told is not what happened," he stated, emphasizing that the case has since been resolved, allowing him to speak freely about it.
The rapper recounted the events leading to his imprisonment, noting that he was stopped by a police officer for driving without license plates.
During the encounter, Ice Prince allegedly threatened to throw the officer into a river, a claim made public by Lagos State Police Command's spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, via Twitter.
Reflecting on his six-day stay in prison, Ice Prince described the experience as "horrible" and devoid of any preferential treatment. "I didn’t get preferential treatment. It’s prison, so there was no preferential treatment. I’m not talking about a police cell," he clarified, contrasting his experience with those of other public figures who have exaggerated their time in police custody.
Despite the grim circumstances, Ice Prince managed to find camaraderie among fellow inmates. "I made friends in there. We hung out and chatted. It’s a different institution of higher learning," he remarked, highlighting the unexpected social dynamics within the prison environment.
Ice Prince also took the opportunity to caution others about the potential consequences of seemingly minor mistakes. "You have to be careful out there because mistakes can take you there. There are so many innocent people in there. It wasn’t a good experience," he warned, expressing empathy for those unjustly incarcerated.
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