Chukwudi, a young man born and raised in Lagos State but hails from the Eastern part of Nigeria, found his life upended in January 2018. While casually strolling through his neighborhood, he was unexpectedly rounded up and taken to the police station. Despite being offered bail, Chukwudi was unable to meet the conditions and was subsequently charged with cultism.
In court, Chukwudi maintained his innocence and was granted bail, yet he remained incarcerated at Ikoyi Correctional Center because he couldn't meet the bail requirements or afford legal representation.
On November 30, 2018, the Headfort Foundation's Legal Aid Team encountered Chukwudi during a prison outreach. They took on his case and represented him in court. Our lawyer argued that the charges were baseless and merely a result of the police's illegal financial demands. On December 13, 2018, the court agreed and dismissed the charges, freeing Chukwudi after he had endured a year of wrongful imprisonment.