In its continuous search for Security and Justice Reform programmes, the Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare (PRAWA), a Non-Governmental Organisation supported by Foreign and commonwealth office has saved Ernest, a 19-year-old teenager from continuous detention in Kirikiri medium prison in Lagos.

Ernest who was accused of causing the loss of a phone worth N45,000 during a fight that ensued after an argument with a driver, has been discharged and released from prison custody by an Ejigbo Magistrate’s Court in Lagos, after a former executive secretary of PRAWA Dr. Uju Agomoh paid a compensation of N25,000 to the complainant.

After speaking with the boy’s mother, the consultant for PRAWA on the PRP pro bono project- Ms. Chinelo Uchendu, learnt that the complainant is ready to withdraw the case if compensated with a reasonable sum while the lawyer that stood up for the boy during his first arraignment demanded N50,000 each for two sureties needed for his bail.

According to the mother of the boy, the boy was being held because the family could not afford to pay for the phone, which was misplaced during the fight as the complainant said he would only withdraw the case when paid compensation.

PRAWA successfully secured a lawyer from Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACON) to attend the next court sitting, apart from taking the responsibility to pay the complainant his compensation in order to set the boy free. Uchendu further advised the mother of the boy to warn him against misbehaviour.

Agomoh said the boy should be interviewed and counselled apart from giving him psychological support to ensure a good pathway for the boy in his future behaviour.

The Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Prison Service (NPS), DCP Francis Enobore thanked PRAWA for their help and urged that a written promise should be extracted from the boy and his mother to serve as internal control mechanism and also deter would-be miscreants from taking pro bono services and financial assistance for granted.

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