LAGOS TEEN FREED AFTER NEARLY FOUR YEARS IN CUSTODY OVER SLIPPERS

A Lagos teenager who was reportedly arrested and remanded in custody in 2022 over allegations involving slippers similar to those worn by a complainant has been freed after spending nearly four years in detention.

The teenager, whose identity was not disclosed, was among two defendants whose cases were taken up by the non-governmental organisation Citizens Gavel after its legal team discovered them during a visit to the Medium Security Correctional Centre in January 2024.

According to Citizens Gavel, the teenager had been in custody since 2022 without being taken to court. The organisation said its lawyers intervened after discovering the case and began tracking the matter through the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The legal team first appeared in the case in March 2024 and subsequently attended more than seven court sessions before Justice Coker. Citizens Gavel said several adjournments occurred while the prosecution failed to present any witness.

The organisation later learnt that Justice Coker had been assigned to another duty and that the case had been transferred to the court of Justice Oshodi.

Citizens Gavel said it appeared before Justice Oshodi in March 2025, where the charges were read to the two defendants and both pleaded not guilty.

At the end of the prosecution’s case, the legal team filed a No Case Submission, arguing that the prosecution had failed to establish sufficient evidence for the defendants to answer.

The court subsequently upheld the submission and discharged and acquitted both defendants.

Citizens Gavel said the case was particularly significant because neither defendant had received visits from family members or representation from another lawyer throughout the nearly four-year period.

The organisation said the two men had spent years in custody largely without support before eventually regaining their freedom.