By Ado Oyeyemi
A Lagos teenager who was arrested in 2022 after allegedly being found wearing slippers similar to those of a complainant has regained his freedom after spending nearly four years in custody.
The teenager, whose identity was not disclosed, was among two defendants whose cases were taken up by the non-governmental organisation, Citizens Gavel, after its legal team discovered them during a visit to the Medium Security Correctional Centre in January 2024.
According to Citizens Gavel, the teenager had remained in custody without being taken to court after his arrest over the slippers.
The organisation said its lawyers subsequently traced the case to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and eventually to the court of Justice Coker.
Citizens Gavel said it first appeared in the matter in March 2024 and subsequently attended more than seven proceedings before Justice Coker, while repeatedly urging the court to strike out the case.
The organisation said the prosecution, despite several adjournments, failed to produce a single witness.
It added that it was informed in early 2025 that Justice Coker was on official assignment and that the case would be transferred to another court.
Citizens Gavel said its legal team resumed tracking the matter and eventually discovered that it had been transferred to the court of Justice Oshodi.
The organisation said the charges were read to the two defendants when it first appeared before Justice Oshodi in March 2025, after which they pleaded not guilty.
At the close of the prosecution’s case, the legal team filed a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution had failed to establish sufficient evidence requiring the defendants to enter a defence.
The court subsequently upheld the submission and discharged and acquitted both defendants, bringing the teenager’s prolonged detention to an end.
Citizens Gavel described the outcome as significant, noting that neither defendant had received any court representation from family members or other lawyers throughout the nearly four-year ordeal.
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The organisation said, “They endured years in custody largely unseen and unheard. Today, they walk free.”
