Home / Crime and Justice / Nigerian youth freed after 6 years, searches for missing mother
Nigerian youth freed after 6 years, searches for missing mother
23 Apr
Summary
- Rasheed Wasiu spent nearly six years in prison awaiting trial.
- He was arrested during the 2020 End Sars protests in Lagos.
- Upon release, he discovered his mother is missing and feared arrested.
Rasheed Wasiu, now 23, has been released from Nigeria's Kirikiri Correctional Centre after nearly six years of detention without trial. He was arrested in October 2020 during the widespread End Sars protests in Lagos. Initially detained on looting allegations, the charge later became unlawful possession of firearms.
His incarceration highlighted the severe issues within Nigeria's judicial system, with overcrowding, poor healthcare, and prolonged pre-trial detentions. Rasheed survived by taking on menial jobs and selling items for prison staff. His case was finally dismissed last month due to a lack of evidence, following intervention by the Take It Back Movement advocacy group.
Upon his release, Rasheed faced a new crisis: his mother has disappeared. Neighbours reported she left the area due to threats of arrest herself. Rasheed, who last saw her briefly after his initial detention, is now living with his uncle and desperately searching for her while trying to rebuild his life.
