A 26-year-old graduate, photographer, and keyboardist, Nicholas, was recently freed from detention at a Keffi prison after spending two months in custody. Nicholas’s ordeal began in October 2023 when he resigned from his role as a photographer at Pesther Photostudio, owned by Oluwole Mike, a politician and publisher of One Nigeria Television. The resignation, delivered via text message, reportedly angered Mike, who subsequently arranged for Nicholas’s arrest.
Nicholas was initially detained at a police station for two days before being charged with “intentional insult.” He was then locked up in a severely overcrowded cell with 189 other inmates in Keffi prison. Despite Mike later withdrawing the charges, Nicholas remained incarcerated due to his inability to pay the bail sum, which was initially set at ₦100,000 and later reduced to ₦50,000.
Human rights activist Funke Adeoye (@thefunkeadeoye) shared the details of Nicholas’s plight on Twitter, highlighting the unjust detention and his dire circumstances. Hope Behind Bars Africa, a non-profit organization working for the rights of detainees, was alerted to the situation two weeks ago. The organization’s Executive Director, Hassan Idayat (@thehassanian), reached out to a friend who anonymously donated the ₦50,000 required for Nicholas’s bail.
Photographs shared by Adeoye on her X app page reveal the stark contrast between Nicholas’s appearance before his imprisonment, immediately after his release, and at the office of Hope Behind Bars Africa. The images depict the toll that the unjust detention has taken on the young photographer.
Nicholas’s story has sparked outrage and calls for accountability, particularly concerning the misuse of power by politicians to punish personal grievances. Activists and concerned citizens are urging authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding Nicholas’s detention and to take measures to prevent similar abuses of power in the future.
