Not listening to his mother cost 23-year-old Nigerian Rasheed Wasiu dearly – more than five years of his freedom for something he did not do.
Now released from prison, where he was stuck waiting for his trial as the judicial process crawled on, Rasheed has no idea where she is. His mother has gone missing.
In October 2020, she had told him not to go out as widespread anti-police brutality demonstrations, known as the End Sars protests, swept into his area of Lagos, Nigeria's bustling commercial heart. People's anger was directed towards the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars) accused of robbing, attacking and even killing innocent people.
The reaction of the security forces to the 2020 demonstrations reached a crescendo when officers opened fire on a group of protesters in the city. Violence ensued, and police, alongside vigilante groups, began rounding up any individual they suspected of involvement.
On the day of the protests, Rasheed was trying to get to a painting job but turned back due to escalating violence. He arrived home just as his mother warned him to stay indoors. Ignoring her advice, he stepped outside, only to be apprehended by members of the vigilante Odua Peoples Congress (OPC), who mistook him for a protester. Despite his mother’s and neighbors’ protests about his innocence, he was taken away, first to an army barracks and then to Lagos's Kirikiri Correctional Centre, where he awaited trial.
Initially accused of looting, the charges grotesquely escalated to 'unlawful possession of firearms.' He found the prison life unbearable, describing it as hell with substandard food and services. His incarceration lasted almost six years, with numerous delays and no clear sight of his case moving forward. Finally, a judge dismissed his case due to insufficient evidence, allowing him his long-awaited freedom.
Upon his release, however, he learned that his mother had vanished, likely due to fears for her own safety. Rasheed now lives with his uncle, actively searching for his mother while trying to piece together his shattered life. He remains determined to rebuild, remembering his previous aspirations to become a tailor.
Ever since I got out of prison, my neighbors have been supporting me with food. But I don't want to be dependent on them, I wish to get a job and be a giver as well, he expressed with hope for the future.
