Elvis, a young man in his early twenties, was struggling with menial jobs to make ends meet in Lagos. On April 6, 2018, his life took a drastic turn when he was arbitrarily arrested without being informed of the charges against him. The police offered bail at N20,000, but Elvis, unable to pay and with no support, remained in detention.
Charged with belonging to an unlawful society and without legal representation, Elvis faced an uphill battle. He languished in prison, his future uncertain.
However, on November 30, 2018, Headfort Foundation’s Legal Aid Team intervened during a prison outreach. Our lawyer confirmed Elvis's claims and took up his case. On December 12, 2018, the court granted a motion to dismiss the charges due to lack of evidence. Elvis was released, having spent eight unjust months in prison.