25-year-old man develops stroke after wrongful 8-month detention over alleged phone theft
A 25-year-old Nigerian man, who was wrongfully imprisoned for eight months over an alleged phone theft despite lacking any evidence, has developed a stroke.
This information was shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter), revealing that the individual, identified as “Martins,” was accused of stealing a phone.
However, after several investigations, no evidence was found to support the accusation.
Despite this, he remained in prison for eight months.
During his time in detention, he developed a stroke, reportedly without being given any medical attention or taken to a hospital.
Kanayo Olisa-Metuh, who confirmed the incident, expressed his shock, writing: “This one shattered me.”
He further commented, “How does a vibrant 25-year-old walk into a custodial center and end up with a stroke—without ever being taken to a hospital? A person in custody is a ward of the state. That stroke, untreated and ignored, is nothing short of torture behind bars.”
Olisa-Metuh emphasized the need for non-custodial measures, as outlined in Section 37 of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019, but lamented that the provision is largely ignored: “We’ve raised our voices over and over about the need to implement non-custodial measures, but that section remains largely decorative—existing only on paper.”
He continued, “Martins was accused of stealing a phone. The phone was never found. There was no evidence. He should never have spent a single day in custody. Instead, he spent eight months behind bars and came out partially paralyzed.”
“This is Nigeria—where this happens to tens of thousands of individuals who have no access to legal representation.”
Olisa-Metuh called for justice and compensation for Martins, declaring, “He deserves justice. He deserves compensation. And we will fight until he gets it. #justiceformartins.”
As the post gained traction online, concerned individuals flooded the comments section to share their thoughts and outrage over the case.
See some reactions below:
@OgunladeMi46997: “that custodial centre should be thoroughly investigated. How do a 25 years old guy develop stroke all of a sudden.”
@ctsar_ct: “Nothing works in Nigeria. No country can function without a functional Judiciary. You go to court and the judge just hastily ask you the useless question they have at hand “guilty or not guilty” You say not guilty, you are remanded and the judge will never show up. It’s crazy.”
@cynthia_tuaka: “This is very bad. Why didn’t the person who accused him pursue the case?. Arresting someone and dumping them behind bars without pursuing the case any further is nothing but sheer wickedness. He deserves justice and adequate compensation.”
Odion07_: “Naija police, evidence and investigation na three sides of a coin.”
@joshj3344: “People just keep being victims every day without due investment and proper treatment. Nawaoo.”
WATCH VIDEO:
A 25 year old was accused of stealing a phone. There was no evidence he stole the phone, and the phone was never even found. Yet, he was sent to a custodial centre where he spent 8 months. This should NEVER happen. Now, he developed strokes in the centre and was never taken to a… pic.twitter.com/WJHywLK62v
— Sir Dickson (@Wizarab10) April 13, 2025
