9 Years Awaiting Trial: Ex-Inmate Reveals Shocking Abuse, Hunger, and Corruption in Nigerian Prison
Shehu Adam, a former Mass Communication student at the University of Jos, has spoken out about the harrowing experience he endured during his nine-year detention in Kano prison, awaiting trial for a crime he maintains he never committed.
According to Shehu, his nightmare began while he was still in his first year at university. Though he had never set foot in Kano before, his elder brother owned a phone accessory shop in Guru, Yobe State, where Shehu occasionally helped out and engaged in small business.
“One day, someone sold me a Nokia 2700 phone. A few days later, I was told that some people were waiting to see me at my brother’s shop,” he recalled.
Upon arriving, Shehu discovered that the visitors were police officers. He was arrested on the spot, taken to the Guru police station, and then transferred to Kano. It was only then that he learned the phone he had bought was allegedly linked to a robbery and murder.
His trial initially began in Norman’s Land but was later moved to the Federal High Court in April 2025.
“I wouldn’t wish the Nigerian prison experience on anyone—not even my worst enemy,” Shehu said. “At first, I thought once someone entered prison, they would never come out. But I saw people leave and return days later. I couldn’t understand why they kept going back to crime.”
He described the conditions inside as appalling, with many inmates dying from hunger and abuse being a daily reality. Young and innocent detainees, he said, are frequently exploited, with sodomy being rampant.
“Inmates on death row are often well-fed, and they use their food to manipulate others into engaging in sodomy. Many victims don’t survive. Some can’t sit anymore due to internal injuries, and I saw cases where infections were so severe that maggots came out of their bodies.”
Despite the government’s effort to provide for prisoners, Shehu, who served as an Imam while incarcerated, claimed that much of the food supply never reaches the inmates.
“Less than 20 percent of the food intended for prisoners is actually distributed. The rest is diverted,” he alleged.
Shehu Adam finally regained his freedom on April 29, 2025, and is now sharing his story in hopes of drawing attention to the inhumane conditions within Nigeria’s prison system and the plight of those unjustly detained.
