Court Acquits Ibrahim Usman After Ten Years of Detention

The Lagos High Court, presided over by Justice Rahman Oshodi, discharged and acquitted Ibrahim Usman, who had been detained for nearly a decade without a conviction. Usman was arrested on June 14, 2016, for allegedly engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl in Ipaja, Lagos.

The prosecution did not file charges until March 2017, and the case faced numerous delays, with the custody authorities failing to produce Usman in court despite multiple warrants. The court noted that the prosecution's case collapsed during cross-examination of the sole witness, Dr.

Alagb Oyedeji Mirabel, who admitted to not examining the alleged survivor or providing a medical report. Justice Oshodi ruled that the prosecution failed to prove critical elements of the offense and condemned the repeated disobedience of custody orders, warning that such detentions without diligent prosecution undermine constitutional safeguards.

This case underscores significant concerns regarding unlawful detention and the backlog of trial inmates in Nigeria's overcrowded custody centers.