In a heartwarming and emotional turn of events, Gospel Uebari Kinanee, a man who was wrongly imprisoned for 18 years, has finally regained his freedom.

Kinanee, who was taken away by policemen at the age of 14, was recently reunited with his family, having been one of the freed 21 awaiting trial inmates at the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre, in a bid to reduce the congestion in correctional facilities in Rivers State.

The exercise was part of the Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi’s efforts to address the issue of overcrowding in the state’s correctional facilities, which has become a major concern.

According to Justice Amadi, the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre, which was built to accommodate 1,500 inmates, currently houses over 2,500 inmates.

He said this has led to a situation where inmates are subjected to inhumane conditions, which can have serious consequences for their health and well-being.

Kinanee’s ordeal began in 2007 when policemen forcefully took him away from his village in Ogoni, Rivers State.

He was just 14 years old at the time. With no records of his existence in the prison system, Kinanee was left to languish behind bars, a “ghost” without a name or a case file.

The Haven360 Foundation discovered Kinanee during one of their outreach visits in September 2024. Despite his mental condition and difficulty communicating, the foundation was determined to uncover the truth about Kinanee’s past and help him regain his freedom.

After months of investigation, petitioning, and correspondence, the foundation finally traced Kinanee’s family and confirmed his identity.

The reunion between Kinanee and his family was an emotional one. His family had given up hope of ever seeing him again, but thanks to the efforts of the Haven360 Foundation, they were finally reunited.

The Chief Judge of Rivers State formally discharged Kinanee on July 17, 2025, confirming that no charge had ever existed against him.

Speaking during the exercise, the Chief Judge emphasised the need for concerted efforts by all stakeholders in the criminal justice system to address the issue of overcrowding in correctional facilities.

He noted that keeping inmates in custody without trial does not benefit society and emphasised that all stakeholders must ensure that justice is served while also protecting the rights of suspects. He said prolonged detention can have serious consequences for the mental and physical health of inmates, and can also lead to further congestion in correctional facilities.

The Chief Judge explained that the decision to release the inmates was based on a review of their cases. Those with ongoing court cases were not considered for release; however, inmates whose case files could not be located and had spent years in custody without any progress in their trials were freed.

The state Chief Judge maintained that the goal delivery exercise was not the normal routine duty but fundamental aspects of his judicial responsibilities rooted in legal traditional as provided in the criminal justice release from custody special provision Act Cap C,4c laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and section 34 sub 1 of Rivers state Administration of Criminal Justice Law No 2015.

Among those released were two mentally challenged inmates who had spent between eight and 10 years in custody without any clear charges or trial progress.

Justice Amadi advised the freed inmates to become change agents in society and avoid repeating the crimes that led to their incarceration. He also urged the police to conduct diligent investigations before charging suspects in court, emphasising the importance of proper legal procedures.

The State Controller of Correctional Service, Madumere Felix C, expressed gratitude to the Chief Judge for the exercise and highlighted the challenges faced by the correctional service.

He disclosed that the maximum correctional centre has 503 inmates on death row and over 2,500 inmates in total, far exceeding its capacity. Felix called on the Chief Judge to help channel the service’s challenges to the state government for support and assistance.