Long Walk to Freedom: Man Arrested During #EndSARS Protest Released After Marking 2 Birthdays in Prison
- A young Nigerian man who was arrested since the #EndSARS protests has just regained his freedom
- Peter John was arrested in the heat of the nationwide protest against police brutality that rocked Nigeria in the year 2020
- Peter was detained at the Kirikiri maximum security prison in Lagos and he spent a year and 3 months in detention
It's a long walk to freedom for Peter John, an indigene of Borno state who got arrested during the nationwide #EndSARS protests that rocked Nigeria in the year 2020. He has been in detention at the Kirikiri prison, Lagos.
Peter John just regained his freedom yesterday. But before his release, the man had spent one year and three months in the gulag.
Source: Getty Images
His freedom was made possible by Festus Ogun, a legal practitioner at Festus Ogun Legal who also shared the story on Facebook:
"Arrested in connection with the #EndSARS protest October 2020, unjustly detained in Kirikiri Prison for a year and 3 months, marked two birthdays in unjust detention; story of Peter John, the Borno man whom we got out of Kirikiri yesterday. He is our hero #JusticeForAll."
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How I was arrested, Peter speaks
In an interview, Peter told Legit.ng that he was arrested on his way to work on October 22, 2020. He said:
"It's yesterday that I came out from the correction centre. It's during #EndSARS that they arrested me at Lekki. I was going to my working place."
The arrest shouldn't have happened, lawyer says
In a separate reaction, Festus, the lawyer who helped secure Peter's freedom told Legit.ng that the arrest and detention shouldn't have happened in the first place. His words:
"While it is pleasing that we got Peter John out of unjust detention, we are of the view that the arrest and prolonged detention should not have happened in the first place if our justice system works."
Man released after spending 6 years in Kirikiri prison
In another story previously reported by Legit.ng, a Nigerian man regained his freedom after spending a total of 6 years in prison.
The man named Taiwo reportedly spent those number of years at the Kirikiri Custodian Centre without being able to get a proper trial.
But luck came Taiwo's way when recently, Hon Justice Sonaike ordered the man's release. His freedom was further facilitated by an NGO, PRAI, that filed an application to that effect.
Source: Legit.ng
