Landmark Judgment: Lagos High Court Orders Release of Man Detained Eight Years Without Trial
In a historic ruling delivered on 22nd October 2025, the High Court of Lagos State, Ikeja Judicial Division, presided over by Honourable Justice Adenike K. Shonubi, ordered the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Sewedo Folorunsho, who had been unlawfully detained for eight years without trial.
Mr. Folorunsho, represented by the law firm of Monday O. Ubani, SAN & Co., had approached the Court via an application for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights, challenging his prolonged incarceration without a formal charge.
The respondents in the suit were: the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State (1st Respondent), the Attorney-General of Lagos State (2nd Respondent) and the Deputy Controller of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Lagos (3rd Respondent)
Mr. Folorunsho was arrested by the police in 2012 on an allegation of murder and was kept in a congested police cell before being arraigned in 2017 before the Ebute Metta Magistrate Court on a holding charge.
Despite the arraignment, no formal information was ever filed before the High Court of Lagos State to commence trial. This failure resulted in his indefinite detention at the correctional facility from 2017 until the date of judgment.
In her judgment, Justice Shonubi held that the prolonged and unlawful detention of the applicant amounted to a gross violation of his constitutional rights to:
– Personal liberty (Section 35, 1999 Constitution as amended)
– Dignity of the human person (Section 34)
– Fair hearing (Section 36)
The Court therefore ordered his immediate and unconditional release from custody, and awarded ₦500,000 damages against the Lagos State Commissioner of Police for the unlawful detention.
Reacting to the judgment, M. O. Ubani, SAN, commended the Court for its courage and fidelity to the rule of law. He described the decision as: “A victory for human rights, justice, and the sanctity of liberty in Nigeria.”
One of his associates, Mr. Iwowo Anthony, who adopted the written address on behalf of the firm, also praised the judgment as a reaffirmation that the courts remain the last hope of the common man.
Human rights advocates have hailed the judgment as a powerful reminder that no arm of the state may trample upon the rights of citizens with impunity. It reinforces the constitutional guarantee that detention without trial is unlawful, and underscores the judiciary’s role as a bulwark against executive excesses.
