A man who spent over eight years behind bars without facing trial has finally regained his freedom, thanks to the intervention of a human rights lawyer.
Mr John Gift Tobia was arrested by the Nigeria Police in 2017 at Rumuokoro Junction in Port Harcourt and arraigned before a magistrate court. Although the court ordered his remand at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre, he was never brought to trial during the more than eight years he remained in custody.
His ordeal came to an end on Tuesday, 4 June 2025, following the legal efforts of Barrister Hope Azinuchi Azeru-Oziri, a well-known advocate for justice, popularly known as “Law in Pidgin” on social media. The lawyer, who took up the case on a pro bono basis, described her motivation as divine.
“I visited the prison on 6 January 2025 and took up his matter. God directed me to do this case because He remembered Gift Tobia,” she said.
Barrister Azeru-Oziri explained that the legal process was carried out at no cost to Mr Tobia, with funding provided by her online supporters and a philanthropic Nigerian based in the United Kingdom.
In its ruling, the High Court of Rivers State condemned Mr Tobia’s extended incarceration without trial, declaring it both illegal and immoral. The court ordered his immediate and unconditional release.
Mr Tobia’s case has reignited calls for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s criminal justice system, particularly the issue of prolonged pre-trial detention and the rights of those held without formal charges.
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