A Nigerian man has shared a remarkable account of spending 47 years in prison after allegedly being detained at the age of 13 over the accidental damage of a police officer’s car mirror.
The story, published by Inside Life and credited to Alhassan Mai Lafiya, has attracted widespread attention on social media. However, the claims have not been independently verified by Yaro Insider.
According to the account, the man was born in Maiduguri, Borno State, and worked alongside his father selling sugarcane after school.
He claimed that while resting under a tree one day, he accidentally brushed against a parked vehicle, causing its side mirror to break. Rather than flee, he said he waited for the owner to return and explain what had happened.
The narrator alleged that the car owner, who later turned out to be a police officer, assaulted him before taking him to a police station, where he was detained without any formal explanation.
He further claimed that after about a month in police custody, he was taken to court. When the court did not sit that day, he was allegedly remanded in prison, where he remained for decades as he was transferred between correctional facilities across different states.
According to the account, it was not until he reached the age of 60 that a visiting state governor questioned why he had been incarcerated.
The narrator claimed that an investigation was subsequently launched, leading to his release after authorities allegedly discovered irregularities surrounding his prolonged detention.
He also alleged that the police officer responsible for his detention had later become a traditional ruler and expressed regret when they eventually met.
The account concluded with the man saying he rejected offers of compensation, arguing that no amount of material support could restore the decades of his life that had been lost. He said he was later pardoned and assisted by the government to start a small business.
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