Shehu Sani Reveals Shocking Prison Experience

Former Senator Shehu Sani, who once represented the Kaduna Central senatorial district, recently took to his verified Facebook page to share a vivid and personal account of his time in prison during the 1990s. In a candid post, Sani detailed one of his most harrowing experiences behind bars, offering a rare glimpse into the harsh realities of prison life.

Sani recalled that, among the many challenges he faced, one of the most humiliating and difficult was bathing in an open space. Early each morning, inmates were summoned to wash themselves outdoors, a practice that stripped them of their dignity and privacy. “My worst experience when I was in prison in the 90s was when we had to be called out early in the morning to take our bath in an open space with our buckets,” Sani wrote. The scene was a stark reminder of the dehumanizing conditions within the prison system, where personal space and time were luxuries that inmates could not afford.

He vividly described the awkwardness of the situation, likening the sight of the naked men to a lineup of different vehicles. “There you will see the difference between trailers, tankers, tractors, trucks, and mini cars,” he added, using humor to convey the uncomfortable reality of the situation. The comparison, though lighthearted, highlighted the vulnerability of the inmates as they were exposed to each other’s physical forms in a setting where they had no choice but to comply.

The time allotted for bathing was another source of stress. Sani noted that they were given less than ten minutes to finish bathing before the next group of men was called. This brief window of time left little room for thoroughness or comfort, adding pressure to an already uncomfortable task.

Among the prisoners was one of Sani’s close friends, a pastor, who found the experience particularly distressing. Sani recounted how the pastor would cry during these moments, overwhelmed by the indignity of the situation. “One of my friends, a pastor, used to cry when bathing, and his cry made me laugh,” Sani shared. Despite the grimness of the experience, the pastor’s reaction brought a moment of levity to Sani, highlighting the ways in which inmates coped with their harsh reality.