A man identified as Mr. John Gift Tobia has finally regained his freedom after spending eight years and Four Months in the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre without trial.
John Gift Tobia was arrested by the Nigeria Police in 2017 at Rumuokoro Junction in Port Harcourt. He was arraigned before a magistrate court, which ordered his remand in prison. However, no formal trial followed his detention for over eight years.
His release was secured on Tuesday, June 4, 2025, through the efforts of a popular human rights lawyer, Hope Azinuchi Azeru-Oziri, popularly known on Facebook as, Law in Pidgin. The lawyer, who took up the case pro bono, said she was divinely led to fight for Mr. Tobia’s freedom.
“I visited the prison on January 6, 2025, and I took up his matter. God directed me to do this case because He remembered Gift Tobia,” the lawyer shared.
She further revealed that the case was handled without any charges to the victim, thanks to financial contributions from her social media followers and the support of a generous Nigerian living in the United Kingdom.
Delivering its judgment, the High Court of Rivers State declared that the prolonged detention of Mr. Tobia without trial was both illegal and immoral. The court ordered his immediate release.
Thank you Hope Azinuchi Azeru-Oziri, AKA Law in Pidgin for what you did, you are a good woman
