04/07/2026
The family of a young 14-year-old boy who went missing in 2007 and was later found inside the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, is demanding ₦10 billion in compensation from the Federal Government, the Nigerian Correctional Service, and all agencies involved for allegedly detaining a minor without trial for 18 years.
According to the family, Gospel Kinanee, an indigene of the Ogoni ethnic group in Rivers State, was just 14 years old when he was arrested. They said no member of the family was informed, and no trial was conducted throughout his detention.
The family said both his father and mother died while desperately searching for their missing son, never knowing he was being held in custody.
Sadly, Gospel reportedly entered the correctional facility as a healthy teenager but came out with severe mental health challenges. The family says he is no longer mentally stable and is now seeking justice for what they describe as nearly two decades of wrongful imprisonment.