In a haunting tale of injustice and survival, Gospel Nwibari, who was arrested at just 14 years old, has finally walked free after spending a staggering 18 years behind bars without ever facing trial.
Now 32, Nwibari’s release from the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre marks a bittersweet homecoming, one filled with joy, grief, and the painful scars of a life lost to a broken justice system. His story has now become a symbol of the deep-rooted dysfunction plaguing Nigeria’s judicial and correctional institutions.
Arrested in 2006 for an undisclosed offence, Nwibari vanished into the prison system without legal representation, case files, or court appearances. His family had long feared the worst, assuming he had died in custody.
“I thought he was gone forever,” said Paul Kinani, Gospel’s elder brother, his voice trembling with emotion. “We searched everywhere. Getting that call from Haven360 Foundation felt like a miracle. It was as though the dead had come back to life.”
Justice Delayed, Lives Destroyed
Nwibari’s ordeal is a chilling indictment of Nigeria’s criminal justice system, where tens of thousands are detained without trial for years. Legal experts and human rights activists have repeatedly raised alarms about the failure to uphold basic rights, yet reform has been slow and uneven.
Despite the existence of the Rivers State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, designed to fast-track justice and reduce prison congestion, many like Nwibari still fall through the cracks.
His release was facilitated by the Haven360 Foundation, a non-governmental organisation committed to criminal justice reform. According to Barrister Cyrus Onu, president of the foundation, Nwibari’s case is just one of many tragic examples.
“He was a teenager when he was arrested—abandoned, voiceless, and forgotten,” Onu said. “We also just secured the release of a mentally ill woman from Etche who had been detained since 2022. These are the people justice forgot.”
The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, who has been actively championing judicial reform, lamented the state of the correctional system during a visit to the Port Harcourt facility.
“Many of the inmates have no files, no legal counsel, and no knowledge of the charges against them. Keeping them detained under such conditions serves no purpose. It is our duty to right these wrongs,” Justice Amadi said.
With over 2,500 inmates crammed into a facility designed for 1,800, Port Harcourt Correctional Centre is on the brink of collapse. Authorities have warned that the facility may soon be forced to halt new admissions if urgent measures aren’t taken to address the chronic overcrowding.
For Nwibari, the fight is far from over. Eighteen years of incarceration—his entire youth stolen—have left him physically weak and emotionally shattered. Psychologists say he will require immediate mental health support to begin the process of healing.
Yet, in the arms of his family and with the support of organisations like Haven360, Nwibari is determined to reclaim his life, one day at a time.
His story is not just a tragedy—it’s a rallying cry for justice, for reform, and for the countless others still lost in the shadows of Nigeria’s prison walls.
PIONEER NEWS 