A 21-year-old lady identified as Chiamaka Okwuegbunam, has regained her freedom five months after she was thrown into the Onitsha prison over false claims she stole a towel.
Activist, Harrison Gwamnishu, heard of her incarceration and helped secure her release.
Chiamaka who is an aspiring hairdresser, said it was her then-boyfriend who stole the towel and brought it to her house. She said she was at home when the owner of the towel and a vigilante stormed her house and found the towel. Chiamaka stated that she was whisked to the police station and afterward arraigned in court and when she couldn’t fulfill her bail conditions, she was thrown into the prison.
‘’It was my boyfriend who stole the towel and kept it in our compound. She said she took the towel and kept it in her house. The vigilante came with the owner of the towel and they discovered the towel in my house. The vigilante people took me to the police and the police took me to court”
Chiamaka said no one came to represent her in court nor came to bail her at the police station. She said her Uncle who knew what was happening couldn’t afford the bail requirements. She said it was the day she was arrested that she was immediately taken to court.
She said she will never go back to her ex who caused her to go through this ordeal.
Harrison first mentioned her case over the weekend. He wrote;
‘’21-year-old Chiamaka Okwuegbunam, who is currently Seven Months Pregnant has been in Onitsha Prison since December 2022.
Her boyfriend stole TOWEL from his workplace and kept it in Chimaka’s house. He ran away and Chiamaka became a victim.
The TOWEL was retrieved and handed over to the owner but the police charged Chiamaka to court when she failed to bail herself from custody.
At the court, she was been granted BAIL (N200,000 and one Surty). She has no one and have never received any visitor in prison custody.
PLEASE LET’S GET CHIAMAKA OUT BEFORE TUESDAY NEXT WEEK.”
He approached the court on Tuesday, April 18, and was able to perfect her bail condition and secure her release today.
Watch a video of Chiamaka after leaving the court below…
