A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has discharged and acquitted a man, Ibrahim Usman, who spent nearly 10 years in custody without conviction.
Delivering judgment, Justice Rhaman Oshodi held that the prosecution failed to prove the charge of defilement beyond reasonable doubt, describing the case as lacking sufficient evidence.
The court criticised both the prosecution and custodial authorities, noting that the prolonged detention reflected serious lapses in the criminal justice system.
Usman was arrested in June 2016, but charges were not filed until 2017. The court found that authorities repeatedly failed to produce him for arraignment despite multiple court orders, leading to delays and the eventual striking out of the case in 2020.
Despite the case being struck out, the defendant remained in custody for years, a situation the court described as a grave institutional failure.
During trial, the prosecution called only one witness, whose testimony was based on a medical report not tendered in evidence.
The court also noted the absence of key witnesses and failure to establish critical elements of the alleged offence, including the age of the complainant and identification of the defendant.
Justice Oshodi held that the evidence presented was insufficient to sustain the charge, adding that the defendant had no case to answer.
The judge stressed that delays were caused by the prosecution’s failure to diligently pursue the case and the custodial authorities’ disregard for court orders.
He also highlighted the role of the Lagos Criminal Information System in eventually detecting the continued detention, noting that such systems are designed to prevent unlawful incarceration.
The court subsequently acquitted the defendant and ordered his immediate release.
Reporting by Wahab Akinlade