In February 2019, Ojo, a motorcycle rider, picked up a passenger named Yusuf in Mushin area of Lagos State, Nigeria. During their journey, Ojo snatched a mobile phone from a woman standing by the road. Shocked by the theft, Yusuf tried to get Ojo to stop so he could get off the bike. Meanwhile, the woman had raised an alarm, and local residents apprehended both Ojo and Yusuf. They were beaten before being handed over to the police.
The woman's phone was recovered and returned to her, while Ojo and Yusuf were taken to the police station. Despite Yusuf’s attempts to explain his situation, no one believed him, and both were charged with theft in February 2019. Although they were granted bail, they were unable to meet the bail conditions.
In November 2019, Headfort Foundation’s Legal Aid team encountered them during a prison outreach and took up their case. Our lawyer, assigned to represent them, discovered that their families had been exploited by "charge and bail" lawyers who promised to secure their release but failed to deliver. The families had exhausted their resources and abandoned hopes of obtaining proper legal representation.
Further investigation revealed that the prosecution had no evidence or witnesses, as the victim was no longer interested in pursuing the case after getting her phone back. Additionally, the Investigating Police Officer showed no interest in the matter. Yusuf was thus unjustly imprisoned due to Ojo’s actions.
Recognizing these issues, Headfort Foundation’s lawyer applied for the case to be dismissed. On December 16, 2020, the court granted the application, striking out the case.
We provided moral guidance to Ojo, urging him to avoid future criminal behavior, and supported Yusuf, encouraging him to persevere despite the trauma. The ordeal, which lasted one year and ten months, was over a phone valued at N15,000.
