Impact Stories
In November 2019, four young men—Dauda, Gbenga, Dokun, and Ahmed—found their lives upended by a series of arbitrary arrests in Lagos State, Nigeria. Dauda was en route to visit a friend, Gbenga was returning from a medical appointment, Dokun was finishing his shift as an okada rider, and Ahmed was simply standing in front of his house when they were all detained.
Despite their innocent circumstances, each man was hauled to the police station, where they faced extortionate bail demands they couldn’t meet. Without the means to pay or secure support, they were charged with cultism and remanded to Ikoyi Correctional Center while awaiting their court dates.
Their situation seemed bleak until the Headfort Foundation’s Legal Aid Team intervened during a prison outreach. Upon learning of their plight, the team took on their cases, providing them with pro bono legal representation. Our lawyer faced repeated delays as the prosecution failed to produce the Investigating Police Officer, who was conspicuously absent from court proceedings.
On March 6, 2020, the court ruled in favor of our lawyer’s application, striking out the charges as baseless and frivolous. After five long months of wrongful detention, Dauda, Gbenga, Dokun, and Ahmed were finally released, their unjust ordeal a stark reminder of the urgent need for fair legal processes and accountability.
