Man Freed After 18 Years Without Trial In Rivers State
THECONSCIENCE NG reports that in a striking example of delayed justice finally served, the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, on Thursday flagged off the state’s jail delivery exercise by authorizing the release of 21 inmates from the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre. Among those freed was Gospel Nwibari, who had spent 18 years in detention without trial.
Nwibari was reportedly arrested in 2007 at just 14 years old and had remained in custody ever since — without legal representation, trial, or formal charges.
His case was among the most notable during the launch of the jail delivery initiative, which is rooted in the Rivers State Administration of Criminal Justice Law. The exercise aims to decongest correctional facilities and address systemic delays in the legal process.
Justice Amadi explained that several of the released inmates had no identifiable case files or formal charges. While some were initially linked to serious allegations such as murder and armed robbery, he emphasized that prolonged detention without due process violates the principles of justice.
“Many of these inmates had no case files and no means to trace the charges against them. Continuing to detain them serves no justice purpose,” Justice Amadi stated.
He added that the releases were based on recommendations from correctional authorities and verified by the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) after thorough case reviews.
Addressing the released inmates, Justice Amadi urged them to embrace a new beginning and avoid returning to crime. He acknowledged that reintegration would not be easy, especially for those whose communities may still be healing from alleged past offences.
“Society may not always be forgiving. But the law must remain just and humane,” he said.
The Controller of Corrections for Rivers State, Felix Madumere, also raised serious concerns about overcrowding in correctional facilities. He revealed that the Port Harcourt centre, built to accommodate 1,800 inmates, currently holds over 2,500.
“If urgent steps aren’t taken, we may have to temporarily suspend new admissions to prevent a total system breakdown,” Madumere warned.
The most emotional moment of the day came with the release of Gospel Nwibari. His brother, Paul Kinani, who was present at the facility, said the family had presumed him dead after years of unsuccessful searching.
“We thought he was gone forever. We looked everywhere. Getting that call from Haven360 Foundation felt like a miracle,” Kinani said tearfully. He confirmed that Gospel would undergo immediate medical evaluation due to signs of untreated mental health issues.
Barrister Cyrus Onu, President of Haven360 Foundation — the legal advocacy group that traced Gospel’s case in 2020 — described his release as a landmark in the ongoing struggle for criminal justice reform.
“He was arrested as a child and left to rot in the system. We also secured the release of a mentally ill woman detained since 2022 in Etche. These are people justice forgot,” Onu said.
He pledged the Foundation’s continued support for rehabilitating and reintegrating released inmates, especially those facing psychological trauma or social displacement.
Justice Amadi concluded by reaffirming the judiciary’s commitment to safeguarding detainees’ rights and addressing inefficiencies within the criminal justice system.“This is just the beginning. The jail delivery exercise will continue in other correctional facilities across the state,” he announced.
The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Justice, Nigerian Correctional Service, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), legal aid organizations, and human rights groups — all united in a shared mission to restore hope, dignity, and lawful order to those forgotten by the justice system.
