Ayomide and Tunde were strangers until they met in police cell in June 2019. Ayomide was arrested by Nigerian Police Force members while returning from work, just days before Tunde's arrest. When Tunde was detained, several other young men were also arrested across Lagos, and while some could afford bail and were released, those who couldn't were charged with various offenses. Both Ayomide and Tunde faced charges of theft, which is how their paths crossed.
During their court appearance, they pleaded not guilty and were granted bail. However, due to their inability to meet bail conditions, they remained in detention at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre.
Headfort Foundation’s Legal Aid Team visited them at the Correctional Centre and took on their case. A lawyer was assigned and discovered that the prosecution failed to produce any witnesses and continuously requested adjournments, leaving them languishing in prison.
On December 30, 2019, after multiple adjournments, our lawyer's application to dismiss the case was granted. Ayomide and Tunde spent six months in prison, including the Christmas holiday, for a crime they did not commit.