Man Released After 15 Years in Prison Without Trial

The Ikeja High Court on Monday ordered the release of Kazeen Adeshina, who had been held in a correctional facility for 15 years without charge or trial. The decision came after Justice Oyindamola Ogala reviewed a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Adeshina’s counsel, Mr. Ben Okeke.

Justice Ogala declared Adeshina’s prolonged detention in the Medium Correctional Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos, as unjustifiable and illegal, citing a gross violation of his fundamental human rights as outlined in the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.

“There is unchallenged evidence that the applicant has been in custody for about 15 years without being arraigned before a competent court,” Justice Ogala stated. “The presumption of innocence enshrined in our constitution remains sacrosanct, and it is indeed a travesty of justice for such a delay in the administration of criminal justice to occur.”

The court noted that the correspondence urging the police to transfer Adeshina for arraignment had been ignored since 2003, resulting in his unjust continued detention. Justice Ogala emphasized that no valid reason had been provided for Adeshina’s prolonged remand, warranting his immediate and unconditional release.