An Ikeja High Court has ordered the release of Kazeen Adeshina, who spent 15 years in a correctional facility without charge or trial.

Justice Oyindamola Ogala ruled on Monday in a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Adeshina’s counsel, Mr. Ben Okeke.

Justice Ogala stated, “The arrest and continued detention of Adeshina in the custody of the Medium Correctional Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos without a trial was wrong, illegal, and unjustifiable.” She emphasized that this was a gross violation of Adeshina’s fundamental human rights as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

The judge highlighted that Adeshina had been in custody for about 15 years without being arraigned before a court.

“The presumption of innocence enshrined in our constitution remains sacrosanct, and it is indeed a travesty of justice for this to occur without the administration of criminal justice, no matter where the delay emanates from,” Ogala said.

The court noted that correspondence from 2003 to transfer Adeshina for arraignment had remained unattended, leading to his prolonged detention. “No good cause has been exhibited necessitating the continued remand of the applicant,” Justice Ogala declared.

The judge ordered Adeshina’s immediate and unconditional release from the Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre.

Adeshina’s counsel, Mr. Ben Okeke, had filed the suit against the Lagos State Attorney-General, the Commissioner of Police, and the Controller of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Lagos State. Okeke argued that Adeshina’s detention without a formal charge or trial was wrongful, illegal, unjustifiable, and a gross violation of his fundamental human rights.

In addition to seeking Adeshina’s release, the counsel requested “an injunction restraining the respondents, their agents, or privies from further breach of the applicant’s fundamental human rights.” Okeke also sought an order admitting Adeshina to bail pending his arraignment in court.