Shina and Saheed were working as offloaders in a market in Orile, Lagos State, alongside six other young men. Due to the long distance between their homes and the market and the high cost of transportation, they often sleep in a nearby park after their shifts. On September 3, 2019, while they were sleeping peacefully with their co-workers after a day's work, they were abruptly awakened by the police. They were accused of stealing a car battery worth N50,000 that belonged to their employer. The employer reported the theft to the police, and Shina and Saheed were arrested and charged with theft. Although the employer could not identify the actual thief, he assumed that one of them was responsible without providing evidence.
They were granted bail by the court but remained detained at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre, Lagos State, because they could not afford legal representation or the bail amount due to their financial difficulties.
During a prison outreach to Ikoyi Correctional Centre, Headfort Foundation's Legal Aid Team met Shina and Saheed and took on their case. Despite the employer’s refusal to attend court proceedings and his abandonment of them while he remained free, our lawyer successfully secured the dismissal of the charges, leading to their release.
Shina and Saheed spent five months in the Correctional Centre before being released.
