How Jimmy Cliff was arrested, detained for 3 days in Nigeria 51 years ago

By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

Jimmy Cliff, the globally renowned reggae musician who died on Monday was also very popular in Nigeria and Africa. The late Reggae icon himself confirmed how popular and loved he was when he arrived in Lagos Nigeria in December 1974 for a concert.

The visit was not just the reggae musician’s first to Nigeria but to Nigeria.

For one, he was received by a very large crowd of Nigerians at the airport. He once compared the reception he received from reggae fans in Nigeria to that usually given to the British famous Rock and Roll group, the Beatles during their tours in Europe.

The trip was going on smoothly with Jimmy Cliff entertaining his fans until December 10, 1974 when he was arrested based on a warrant issued by a court in Lagos.

His arrest followed 80,000 Naira civil action filed against him by a musical show promoter, Alhaji R. Osi Ibrahim over alleged breach of contract.

The promoter had claimed that he had entered into contract with the Reggae musician in London to bring him to Nigeria.

Jimmy Cliff was detained based on the warrant. He was released three days after the court ruled that there was no evidence of contract between him and Ibrahim.

This cut the Reggae musicians’ trip to Nigeria short as he immediately left Nigeria after he was released. He later chronicled his experience in the song with the lyrics below.

Nevertheless, Jimmy Cliff said he cherished his trip to Nigeria, describing his experience as “bitter- sweet.”

“Sweet because of the thousands of people at the airport awaiting me. I’d never had that adulation; I only saw it for The Beatles, so to have it for myself was really great. They lined the street from the airport to the hotel. It was amazing. The bitter part of it was I got thrown in jail for no reason at all. A man came and said, ‘I’m the one who was supposed to bring Jimmy Cliff to Africa. I had a contract with him in London and he didn’t turn up so now he’s here I’m taking out a civil suit against him, ” Jimmy Cliff said in an interview with theartsdesk.

One of his exciting experience during the trip, Cliff said, was his meeting with Afrobeat king, Fela Kuti at the Kalakuta Republic.

While declaring his live for Fela’s music, Cliff described the late Afrobeat king as a very intense person.

“He believed in what he was doing. But I loved his music. I wasn’t familiar with his music before I stayed at the Kalakuta that night but I loved it. It was just the way he was – very intense – because he believed in what he was doing because he was a great artist.”

He also declared that he liked the energy of Nigeria and that he had a great experience when he returned to the country years later.

“My first time in Nigeria was not such a good experience! However, I still loved the country and when I went back it was great!”, he told reggaeville.com.

Have you heard the news (News News News) 4X
I was in Africa. Down in Nigeria
Oh they threw me in jail
I had one hell getting bail