Innocent Behind Bars: 100-Level Student Spends 9 Years in Kano Prison Over A Second-Hand Phone

Shehu Adam Shares Harrowing Experience of Injustice, Hunger, and Abuse in Nigerian Prison After Regaining Freedom

Shehu Adam, once a bright-eyed 100-level Mass Communication student at the University of Jos, has finally regained his freedom after spending nine agonizing years in a Kano prison awaiting trial. His only “crime”—buying a second-hand phone.

Narrating his heartbreaking experience, Shehu recalled the chain of events that led to his long, unjust incarceration. “I was in Kano prison awaiting trial for nine years. I was a 100-level Mass Communication student of the University of Jos when I was arrested,” he said.

“I had never even been to Kano before. My elder brother owns a phone accessory shop in Guru, Yobe State, and I used to do some business there. One day, someone brought a Nokia 2700 phone and sold it to me. A few days later, I got a call that some people wanted to see me at my brother’s shop.”

What followed changed his life forever. “When I got there, I discovered they were policemen. I was taken to Guru Police Station and from there, transferred to Kano. It was only in Kano that I was informed the phone I bought was stolen during a robbery in which the victim was killed.”

The trial began in Norman’s Land but was later transferred to the Federal High Court in April 2025, nearly nine years after his arrest.

While in prison, Shehu said he experienced firsthand the horrific conditions and human rights abuses that many inmates endure daily. “I won’t wish my worst enemy to experience Nigerian prison,” he said. “My initial thought was that whoever entered there would never come out alive, but I was wrong. I saw many people leave and return a few days later. I couldn’t understand why they took pleasure in going back to crime.”

He spoke of rampant hunger, abuse, and a deeply broken system. “People die daily due to hunger. A lot of young, innocent inmates are being abused every day. Sodomy is rampant and many inmates are either forced or tricked into it.”

“Those on death row are well-fed, and they use their food rations to lure others into sodomy. Many of the victims die because they can no longer sit or because they suffer from severe infections—some even to the point where maggots come out of their anuses,” Shehu revealed in distress.

Despite being a prison Imam—a role that allowed him certain privileges like staying outside the congested cells—Shehu said he witnessed systemic corruption that denies inmates even the basic necessities. “The government is trying to provide food for inmates, but sadly, less than 20 percent of what’s supplied is actually used. Most of the supplies are diverted.”

After nearly a decade of suffering and injustice, Shehu Adam was finally released on April 29, 2025. His story is a haunting reminder of the cracks in Nigeria’s justice system and a call to action for reform, justice, and dignity for those behind bars.

His message is clear: “I survived, but so many won’t. Something must change.”

*Credit: @fattylincorn_01