Edet, a mechanic who works late into the evening, was heading home on October 24, 2019, after a long day. He stopped at a bus stop to buy dinner and continued on his way. While walking, he encountered some police officers who questioned him about his late-night presence. Edet explained that his job required him to work until 9 p.m. Despite his explanation, he was arrested and taken to the police station, where he was unable to meet the officers’ demands for money.
A week later, Edet was charged with cultism. Although the court granted him bail, he was remanded in prison. While in prison, Edet learned about Headfort Foundation’s Legal Aid Team, who were providing assistance to indigent and wrongly imprisoned inmates. He joined the line and, when it was his turn, he shared his story and had his case taken up by the team.
On February 4, 2020, our lawyer argued successfully for the court to dismiss the case, demonstrating that the charges were baseless, malicious, and unsupported by the prosecution, which had repeatedly failed to advance the case. After five adjournments and spending three months in prison, Edet was finally released.
