A non-profit legal advocacy group, the Foundation for Public Interest Law and Development (The Pro Bono Centre), has successfully facilitated the release of two men, Jimmy Badmus and Ifeanyi Nanim, who had been detained at a correctional facility in Oyo State since 2018.
In a statement issued in Ilorin, the foundation’s Executive Director, Barrister Yusuf Nurudeen, confirmed that Justice M. I. Sule of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan, on January 30, 2025, acquitted both men of all charges and ordered their immediate release.
Badmus and Nanim were arrested on January 21, 2018, during a raid conducted by the now-disbanded Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) in the Apata area of Ibadan.
They were subsequently charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery and armed robbery under Sections 6(b), 1(2)(a), and (b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap. R11, Vol. 14, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
However, their case suffered prolonged delays in the judicial system until the Pro Bono Centre took up their defense free of charge.
Barrister Nurudeen, who led the defense team, explained that after reviewing the case, they chose to rely on the prosecution’s evidence.
This legal strategy proved crucial in exposing weaknesses in the prosecution’s arguments, ultimately leading to the defendants’ release.
During the trial, cross-examinations by the defense further undermined the prosecution’s claims, creating reasonable doubt about the suspects’ involvement in the alleged crime.
Delivering his judgment, Justice Sule ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
As a result, he dismissed all charges and ordered their release.
Reacting to the ruling, Nurudeen described it as a triumph for justice and due process, emphasizing that, if convicted, the two men would have faced the death penalty as prescribed under Section 3 of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act.
“This case highlights the importance of pro bono legal services in protecting fundamental rights and preventing wrongful convictions. Our organization remains committed to providing free legal representation to vulnerable individuals who might otherwise suffer injustice due to systemic failures in the criminal justice system,” Nurudeen added.