Lagos teen freed after four years in custody

A Lagos teenager who spent nearly four years in custody over an allegation linked to a pair of slippers has been discharged and acquitted after the prosecution failed to call a single witness in the case.

The teenager, whose identity was withheld, was arrested in 2022 and remanded in custody. He was allegedly detained because he was wearing slippers similar to those worn by the complainant.

His case, along with that of another defendant, was later taken up by the non-governmental organisation, Citizens Gavel, after its legal team encountered the pair during a visit to the Medium Security Correctional Centre in January 2024, according to a post seen by CitizenDiary.

According to Citizens Gavel, the two defendants had been in custody since 2022 without being brought before a court when its lawyers found them.

“Their ordeal came to our attention in January 2024 during a visit to the Medium Security Correctional Centre, where our legal team in Lagos interviewed them and discovered that, despite having been arrested since 2022, they had never been taken to court,” the organisation said in a statement.

The legal team subsequently traced the case to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and discovered that it was before Justice Coker.

Citizens Gavel said it made its first appearance in the matter in March 2024 and appeared before the judge more than seven times as the case was repeatedly adjourned.

The organisation said the prosecution failed to produce any witness during the proceedings, prompting its lawyers to file applications urging the court to strike out the case.

The legal team was later informed in early 2025 that Justice Coker had been assigned to official duties and that the case would be transferred to another court.

Citizens Gavel said it resumed tracking the matter and eventually discovered that it had been transferred to the court of Justice Oshodi.

The organisation first appeared before Justice Oshodi in March 2025, when the charges were read to the two defendants. They pleaded not guilty.

At the conclusion of the prosecution’s case, the defence filed a No Case Submission, arguing that the prosecution had failed to present sufficient evidence to require the defendants to enter a defence.

The court subsequently reserved the matter for ruling.

In the ruling, the court reportedly upheld the No Case Submission and discharged and acquitted both defendants.

Citizens Gavel described the outcome as significant, particularly because the defendants had spent years in custody with little apparent support or representation.

“What makes this victory even more profound is that throughout this nearly four-year ordeal, not a single member of either defendant’s family appeared in court. No other lawyer also represented them. They endured years in custody largely unseen and unheard. Today, they walk free,” the organisation said.

The case highlights the human cost of prolonged pre-trial detention and the consequences of cases remaining unresolved for years before the courts.