By Ejiofor Toochi
In a heartwarming turn of events, a Nigerian man named Abayomi was recently released from prison months after he was wrongfully arrested and convicted.
Abayomi’s ordeal began in March 2023 when he was arrested while purchasing food on his street. He was initially taken to China Shop Police Station in Lagos and later transferred to Cement Police Station.
After spending about a month in police custody, he was eventually charged with armed robbery and brought before the court in July.
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With the assistance of the Headfort Foundation, an NGO dedicated to supporting vulnerable individuals, Abayomi was connected with a lawyer who fought for his release.
They wrote, “Mr. Abayomi spent four months in Kirikiri Prison before our team of lawyers at our Mobile Office in Magistrate Court Ogba intervened.
“We represented him in court at no cost and followed up on his DPP advice. The advice stated that Abayomi had no case to answer, and he should be discharged.”
Abayomi was finally granted his freedom on October 6th, 2023, after enduring a challenging four-month period behind bars.
There have been many cases of Nigerians who were wrongly imprisoned on false charges, only to be proven innocent after spending years behind bars. It’s a heartbreaking situation that highlights the need for a more just and accurate justice system.
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