18 years mystery ends as missing Rivers teen found alive in prison (Video)

A family in Rivers State has instituted legal action against the Federal Government, the Rivers State Government and the Ministry of Interior after their son, Gospel Kinanee, was allegedly found in a correctional facility nearly 18 years after he disappeared as a teenager.

The family is seeking justice over what it describes as the unlawful detention of Gospel, who reportedly vanished in 2007 at the age of 14 and was only recently reunited with his relatives following an unexpected discovery at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre.

According to the family, Gospel disappeared under mysterious circumstances in 2007, prompting an extensive search that lasted almost two decades.

They said relatives visited several police stations and other security agencies in an effort to trace his whereabouts. The family also claimed to have made repeated enquiries at correctional facilities, including the same prison where he was eventually discovered, but were repeatedly informed that no record of him existed.

The breakthrough, they said, came during a recent jail delivery exercise at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre when a lawyer reportedly recognised Gospel among inmates and contacted his brother after identifying him.

The information led to his identification by family members and his subsequent release from custody.

Now 32 years old, Gospel was allegedly released without ever being formally tried in court or provided with legal representation throughout his years in detention.

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His family described the development as a grave miscarriage of justice, alleging that he spent nearly 18 years behind bars without due process or any judicial determination of his case.

They further claimed that the prolonged detention has had devastating consequences on his physical and mental well-being, leaving him with severe psychological trauma and significantly affecting his ability to reintegrate into society.

Determined to obtain justice, the family has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Government, the Rivers State Government and the Ministry of Interior, alleging violations of Gospel’s fundamental human rights.

The suit seeks to establish the circumstances that led to his detention, determine why he allegedly remained incarcerated for almost two decades without trial, and identify any officials or institutions responsible for the alleged violation of his constitutional rights.

The family is also asking the court to hold the relevant authorities accountable and provide appropriate remedies for what they describe as nearly two decades of unlawful imprisonment and the lasting emotional and psychological harm suffered by Gospel Kinanee.

The case is expected to draw significant public attention as it raises broader concerns about prolonged detention without trial, prison administration and the protection of fundamental rights within Nigeria’s criminal justice system.