A 55-year-old man from Ebonyi State, Sunday Anyim, has spent 13 years in Aba Correctional Centre in Abia State without trial after being arrested in 2012 for allegedly resembling a murder suspect. The prolonged detention has sparked outrage and raised concerns over the inefficiencies in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
Anyim, who hails from Edoma in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, was reportedly arrested along Ehere Market in Aba while selling second-hand clothes, popularly known as okirika. His lawyer, Barrister Onyekachi Ezedike Hillary, stated that Anyim had traveled from Ebonyi to Aba specifically to purchase okirika for resale and did not have a mobile phone at the time of his arrest, leaving him unable to contact anyone for help.
According to Barrister Hillary, police officers accosted Anyim at the market, claiming he bore a resemblance to a suspect accused of killing a woman on her farmland in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State. He was subsequently arrested, charged with murder, and remanded in custody, despite there being no concrete evidence linking him to the crime.
“He was arrested along Ehere Market while he was selling okirika in 2012. According to him, he left his family in Ebonyi and traveled to Aba to purchase okirika, and he had no phone. While selling the okirika, police saw him and said he looked like one suspect that killed a woman on her farmland in Obingwa,” the lawyer said.
Since his arrest, Anyim, who is married with children, has remained in Aba prison awaiting trial, while his family remained unaware of his fate for years and believed he had died. This situation has highlighted a glaring gap in communication and accountability within the Nigerian law enforcement and judicial systems.
Further compounding the ordeal, Anyim’s case file was reportedly among court records destroyed during the End SARS protests in 2020. This destruction stalled any progress on his prosecution, prolonging his detention indefinitely. Barrister Hillary told SaharaReporters on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, that after tracking down a family member in Ebonyi State, efforts are now being made to reinitiate legal proceedings and secure Anyim’s release.
Tragically, Anyim’s health has severely deteriorated after more than a decade in detention. The lawyer disclosed that Anyim collapsed and fainted on the midnight of Friday, December 19, 2025, remaining unconscious until morning. He was taken to the prison medical facility, where he is receiving treatment. Currently, he is reportedly unable to speak or walk, and attempts to interview him further have been unsuccessful due to his fragile condition.
Barrister Hillary said the case underscores the urgent need for judicial reforms in Nigeria, particularly to prevent prolonged pretrial detention and ensure that individuals are not held indefinitely without trial. “This is a clear violation of his fundamental rights. He has been held for 13 years without any trial or proper legal representation in a functioning court,” the lawyer said.
Anyim’s last known residential address is Isieke Market Junction, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. His case has reignited calls for systemic reforms to safeguard detainees’ rights and prevent similar injustices in Nigeria’s criminal justice system. Human rights organizations and civil society groups have urged the authorities to expedite his trial and provide appropriate medical attention given his current health condition.
The case continues to draw national attention as Nigerians await decisive action to rectify this long-standing miscarriage of justice.
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