The family of Gospel Kinanee, who went missing as a 14-year-old boy in 2007, has finally been reunited with him after he spent 18 years in the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre without any formal charge or record of arrest.

According to his elder brother, Gospel left home in the afternoon to play with friends in 2007 but never returned. After an exhaustive search of their community, police stations, hospitals, and other locations yielded no results, the family gave up hope. The trauma of his disappearance led to the deaths of both parents that same year.

In early 2025, the family was contacted by lawyers led by Cyrus Onu, who had discovered Gospel during a prison welfare and rehabilitation exercise. At the time of his discovery, Gospel, now 32, was mentally unstable, could not recognize his family members, and had no recollection of how he ended up in prison.

He was released after the Chief Judge of Rivers State granted him clemency. Medical examinations revealed he was physically stable but suffered from severe mental health issues believed to have developed during his long incarceration.

The family has expressed shock that correctional authorities had no case file or explanation for his imprisonment, describing it as a case of someone being “dumped” in prison with no record.

The family has now filed a lawsuit against the Rivers State Government and correctional authorities, demanding justice and compensation for the gross violation of Gospel’s rights. They are scheduled to appear in court on Monday.

The elder brother revealed they have received threats from prison officials warning them against speaking to the media and pursuing legal action. Despite this, the family says it is committed to seeking accountability so that Gospel can receive proper rehabilitation and begin rebuilding his life.

For Advert, Event Coverage/Press Conference Invite, Story/Article Publication & Other Media Services
Contact Us On WhatsApp
Send Email To: citizennewsng@gmail.com
Visit Citizen NewsNG To Read More Latest And Interesting News Across Nigeria And The World