Two young ladies were yesterday released from prison after being detained for two weeks for allegedly buying stolen items from a supermarket in Anambra state. Facebook user, Harrison Gwamnishu who runs a Non-Governmental-Organization, Behind Bars Initiative, shared the story online. Read belowThey walked into a Supermarket, bought items and paid to the sales girl. Few weeks later, SARS Operatives arrested them for buying stolen properties and accused them of knowing the items they purchased worth N2000, N4000 were stolen.

They were eight arrested, We investigated and discovered that these two purchase the items without knowing the items were stolen.

We went ahead and paid some of the items bought (N15,000) and pleaded to the woman (Complainant) to withdraw the case. The woman took our money, promised to withdraw the case and Police released them on bail to us.

We received a phone call that the complainant took these girls to a Reverend Father Ebube Monso (A Catholic Priest in Anambra state) to swear if they know the items were not stolen before they purchased them. The Rev Father after hearing from them told the woman to free these two girls and recover some of her money from her sale’s girl and that he Father Ebube Monso will pay the remaining amount.

They Left and after two days, she called the police to take them to court including the two girls we secured their release.

The court on 7th November, 2017 granted bail of N100,000, A surety with three years tax clearance and must reside in Anambra state. We provided all the bail conditions but the magistrate refused to sign.

Another investigation carried out, we discovered the magistrate is a close friend to the complainant and her refusal to sign the bail bond was to suffer the young girls and make them die in Prison.

From 7th November, till 14th November 2017, the girls were detained in Onitsha Prison.

The Presence of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) got the case transferred from Magistrate court 2 to Magistrate court 1 and immediately the new magistrate signed their bail bond. If the case was not transferred to a new court and their bail were not signed yesterday, they would have remained in Prison custody till January 2018.

At about 6:00pm yesterday, our Team led by Kenechukwu J Ezika were in court to make sure the girls are released from Prison custody.

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