Rasheed Wasiu was just 17 when he ignored his mother's warning to stay indoors during the 2020 EndSARS protests in Lagos, Nigeria. That decision cost him over five years of his freedom. Now released after the case against him was dismissed for lack of evidence, he is desperately searching for his mother, who disappeared during his imprisonment.
In October 2020, widespread protests against police brutality, specifically the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), swept through Nigeria. On the morning of October 20, Rasheed and a friend set out to a painting job in Amukoko, but turned back upon learning of violence in the area. His mother urged him to stay home, but as a rebellious teenager, he snuck out again.
He insists he did not join the protests, but members of the vigilante Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) caught him and handed him over to police. Despite his mother and neighbors pleading his innocence, he was taken to a military barracks and then to Kirikiri Correctional Centre, where he awaited trial for nearly six years.
During his incarceration, Rasheed survived by washing clothes for other inmates and selling snacks for prison staff. He described jail as "hell"—overcrowded cells, poor food, and inadequate healthcare. "There was a time a young man died in my cell, his leg was just getting swollen," he said. No one came to help.
His case was repeatedly postponed, and one of his lawyers even died while he was in prison. Finally, in early 2024, a judge struck out the case due to lack of evidence after the Take It Back Movement (TIB), an advocacy group, provided legal representation.
Upon his release, Rasheed returned home to find his mother missing. Neighbors said she had fled after being threatened with arrest. He last saw her days after his detention when she brought him food. Now living with an uncle, he prays daily to reunite with her.
Nigeria's prison authorities report that about 64% of the prison population—some 50,000 people—are awaiting trial. Human rights groups say cases like Rasheed's are not uncommon. TIB has secured the release of 100 EndSARS detainees. Rasheed has no plans to sue for his lost years, saying, "I am leaving everything to God."