A Lagos teenager has regained his freedom after spending nearly four years in custody over an allegation involving a pair of slippers, following legal intervention by a public interest organisation, Citizens Gavel.
The teenager, whose identity was withheld, was one of two defendants whose cases were taken up by the organisation after its legal team encountered them during a visit to the Medium Security Correctional Centre in Lagos in January 2024.
According to Citizens Gavel, the teenager had been arrested in 2022 after allegedly being found wearing slippers similar to those belonging to the complainant. Despite his prolonged detention, the organisation said he had not been taken to court.
The legal team subsequently traced the matter to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and eventually located the case before Justice Coker, where Citizens Gavel began appearing in March 2024.
The organisation said it appeared before the court more than seven times for trial, but the prosecution allegedly failed to produce any witness despite several adjournments.
Citizens Gavel said it was later informed in early 2025 that Justice Coker had been assigned to another duty and that the case would be transferred. The legal team subsequently traced the matter to the court of Justice Oshodi.
When the case came before Justice Oshodi in March 2025, the charges were read to the two defendants and they pleaded not guilty. At the close of the prosecution's case, the defence filed a No Case Submission, arguing that the prosecution had failed to establish sufficient evidence against the defendants.
The court later upheld the No Case Submission and discharged and acquitted both defendants, bringing an end to their prolonged detention.
Citizens Gavel described the development as significant, noting that neither defendant had received visits from family members or representation from another lawyer throughout much of their ordeal. The organisation said the two men were now free after years spent in custody without the prosecution calling a witness.
