Four years, then freedom — and an apology with compensation: Nigeria frees four wrongly detained men

Emele Uduma Ibe, Berefgagha Appah, Ondokeyilemi Aggry and Oyeinmokebebeton Aggry went home this week — more than four years after they were detained in Bayelsa State in May 2022. Nigeria's Department of State Services reviewed their case and found the four men had been misled and lured, with no involvement in the activity they were accused of. The agency's director-general, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, freed them and paid compensation of ₦20 million (about $13,000) — ₦5 million (about $3,250) each — alongside promised medical, psychological and reintegration support. Their release is part of a review of more than 300 inherited detention cases that has already paid out over ₦1 billion (about $650,000) in compensation. 'Where there is injury,' the director-general said, 'there must be remedy.'

SDG 16 · Peace, justice and strong institutions — Mechanism: institutional program