Friday was arrested on the 12th of July 2023 while working as a security guard at a church. He was unlawfully detained at the police station for three weeks before arraigned in court on the 7th of August 2023 on charges of stealing a bike with another person he did not know.
Friday was granted bail by the court but could not perfect the bail condition due to financial constraints was unable to secure a Since then, the other defendant has failed to appear in court, and Friday has not been produced in court on multiple occasions.
Our team in Ekiti encountered him during a routine visit to the correctional centre and took up his case. After spending 11 months in the correctional facility without a court appearance, Friday was finally produced by the Nigeria Correctional Service on July 4, 2024. Upon our lawyer's application, the court struck out his case. Unfortunately, Friday's health has significantly deteriorated due to the poor healthcare facilities and living conditions in the correctional centre.
Friday's case and other similar cases demonstrate the slow pace of the justice system in Nigeria, leading to unnecessary delays and suffering for defendants. Friday spent 11 months in prison without a trial, violating his right to a timely trial. Additionally, we strongly believe that a state of emergency is needed at the correctional centres across the country, as the health and general well-being of inmates are deteriorating due to poor healthcare facilities.