A Nigerian man has recounted his ordeal of spending a year in prison for shoes he was accused of stealing.
The man identified as Wisdom Elijah noted that he is a tricycle driver and one day after going to work, he exhausted his fuel and asked one of his friends to accompany him to buy fuel. He said when they got to where they would buy the fuel, his friend's slipper got torn, and he didn't tell him about it.
After buying the fuel and leaving, a woman screamed at them and asked if it was not her child's slippers that he was wearing. Confused, Wisdom asked his friend why he would wear the woman's child's slippers. He started begging the woman to forgive his friend, but she did not take it well. The woman's husband came around and called the police, who later picked them up and took them to the police station.
After spending days in the cell, they were granted bail at a Port Harcourt police station, but he could not raise the amount because he had no one to turn to since he couldn't get access to a phone to call his family.
The friend who wore the slippers was granted bail, and he, on the other hand, had to spend a year in prison and was finally released on December 3, 2024. After being released, he was in such bad condition that he ended up in the hospital.
Wisdom Elijah's recount of his ordeal brought sadness to many who questioned why innocent people are usually sent behind bars and given ruthless sentences. Others slammed his friend for not helping him get bail after he brought it upon him.
Read some reactions here
mintandmadefit: "May we not be victims of circumstance"
b_uniqu.e: "So many people are in prison for offenses they know nothing about.. may mercy and justice locate them"
motara_hairline: "This is so sad. May we not be implicated over what we know nothing about"
realfeefab: "Friend friend friend my friend my guy a whole year that friend didn’t look for him knowing it’s his fault wowww"
b_uniqu.e: "I hope the woman and her husband have been arrested by now? Or they’re still roaming around freely??"
luca.ngn_: "Omg the heart of man is wick#d indeed . So this woman have been sleeping comfortably for those days?"
coco_softest: "Some real-life stories may sound unbelievable until you experience them firsthand. May God protect us from unfortunate circumstances."
thebellezcastle: "And that woman and her husband are people’s best parents in the world"
thesparkleschic: "Your friend is also a bad person. After he was released since he was the one that commited, he should have tried to bail you or reach out to your family. In all ma we not be victims of circumstances."
GA
