A Nigerian man simply identified as Godswill has regained his freedom after spending 11 years and seven months in the Ikoyi prison awaiting trial.
A Non-Government Organization identified as Headfort Foundation, which secured his release said Godswill was arrested in November 2010 in Ajegunle where he had gone to pay a visit to his grandparents.
Godswill’s arrest saw him spend 11 years and seven months in Ikoyi Prison after he was falsely charged for the offence of Armed Robbery.
Read the account of the NGO below.
GODSWILL REGAINS FREEDOM AFTER AWAITING TRIAL FOR 11 YEARS AND 7 MONTHS.
Godswill was a welder who lived at Ikorodu, Lagos State.
Sometime in November 2010, he went to pay a visit to his parents at Ajegunle, on his way back to Ikorodu, he was accosted by two men who claimed to be Police Officers. They requested to search him, but he refused as there was nothing to show that they were police officers. They got angry at Godswill’s refusal and immediately began to beat him up and he was thereafter arrested at Ajeromi Police Station.
Godswill remained at the station for 2 months without being charged to court for any crime.
In January 2011, he was charged to a Magistrate Court for the offence of Armed robbery and his case was at the Magistrate Court for 2 years awaiting DPP advice.
In 2013, the Advice from the office of Directorate of public prosecutions came out instructing that Godswill be charged to a higher court. In January 2014, Godswill eventually appeared for the first time before a High Court.
Since 2014, the matter moved from one court to the other awaiting trial because he had no legal representation and could not afford one.
In June 2019, Godswill met our lawyer- @OluyemiOrija during a visit to the prison and his brief was taken.
Our lawyer applied for his bail and it was granted in November 2021. His family put in efforts for perfection of his bail but couldn’t complete it due to lack of funds.
In March 2022, our partner- @Abdu_SAandCo took over the case and filed an application for striking out. On the 22nd of June 2022, the Court granted the application and discharged Godswill.
GODSWILL REGAINS FREEDOM AFTER AWAITING TRIAL FOR 11 YEARS AND 7 MONTHS.
Godswill was a welder who lived at Ikorodu, Lagos State.
Sometime in November 2010, he went to pay a visit to his parents at Ajegunle, on his way back to Ikorodu, he was accosted by two men who claimed to pic.twitter.com/1Ssg9mHJaL
— Headfort Foundation (Prison Reform Initiative) (@HeadfortF) June 28, 2022
