Victor, a 56-year-old from Benin Republic, moved to Nigeria to work as a personal driver for the chairman of a Nigerian company, hoping to make a living. In 2018, he took his girlfriend out in his boss’s car. They made a brief stop at a gas station to refuel, and while Victor went inside to buy a snack, his girlfriend took off with the car, leaving him stranded without any means of contacting her.
Caught off guard, Victor had no knowledge of her friends, family, or address. As he couldn’t account for the car, the boss reported the theft to the police, leading to Victor’s arrest and charge for stealing the vehicle. He was held in prison and granted bail, but he was unable to meet the bail conditions. Victor spent two years in prison without legal representation until we took on his case in September 2020 at our mobile office in Igbosere Magistrate Court, which was later destroyed during the EndSARS protests.
We actively pursued his case, represented him in court, and negotiated with the complainant for a settlement. On March 11, 2021, the complainant withdrew the charges against Victor. Following his release, Victor returned to his home country, Benin Republic.