The prison file that erased Gospel Kinamee's identity for nearly two decades

A family’s 18-year search

For 18 agonising years, one Rivers State family lived with a question they say never went away: where is Gospel Kinamee?

According to the family, Gospel disappeared as a 14-year-old boy, leaving behind parents, siblings and loved ones who searched through police stations, correctional centres, hospitals and mortuaries in the hope of finding him alive. They say they never imagined that the child they were searching for had been held in prison all along.

The case resurfaced during what was meant to be an ordinary prison decongestion exercise in 2026. When the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, flagged off the Rivers State Jail Delivery Exercise, 21 inmates at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre were approved for release.

Among those invited to witness the exercise was Gospel's brother, who had reportedly been advised by a lawyer to check whether his missing sibling might be among those being released.

Recognition at the correctional centre

The breakthrough came when Gospel's brother identified one of the released inmates as the missing family member. The boy who had vanished at 14 was now a man in his 30s.

The reunion, however, quickly gave way to fresh distress. According to the family, Gospel appeared mentally unstable after spending nearly two decades behind bars.

The family says the most disturbing discovery came from the correctional centre's records. While they had always known him as Gospel Kinamee, the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre allegedly recorded him under a different name: Baridi Sunday.

According to police records cited in the account, Baridi Sunday was identified as a 22-year-old man arrested for armed robbery. The family insists Gospel was imprisoned in place of another individual.

The lawsuit and key questions

The family is now suing the government, demanding ₦10 billion in compensation and damages over what they describe as 18 years of unlawful imprisonment without trial.

The case has provoked public anger because of the allegation that an innocent teenager lost much of his life in custody and that official records may have erased his real identity. It has also raised questions about how a 14-year-old could disappear into the criminal justice system and remain there for nearly two decades without trial.

Other questions have also emerged from the case, including who may have authorised the alleged change of identity, why it took so long for the discrepancy to come to light, and how the detention could continue for so many years without intervention.

Wider concerns about justice and accountability

Beyond the legal dispute, the case has drawn attention to the human cost of prolonged detention. The family says they lost years that can never be recovered, including the ordinary milestones and family moments that passed during Gospel's absence.

The case has also reignited debate over prison congestion, prolonged detention and alleged abuses within Nigeria's criminal justice system. Many are calling for a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding Gospel's incarceration and the officials responsible for the records tied to his detention.

Legal analysts say that if the allegations are proven, the matter could stand among the country's most serious examples of wrongful imprisonment. It would also raise fresh concerns about due process, record-keeping and accountability within law enforcement institutions.

Life after release

For now, Gospel Kinamee is back with his family, but they say the return has been overshadowed by concern about his mental condition and the challenge of rebuilding a life interrupted in childhood.

His family is pursuing justice for the years they believe were unjustly taken from him. As the lawsuit unfolds, attention is likely to remain fixed not only on whether compensation will be awarded, but also on whether the institutions accused of failing him will be held accountable.

The case stands as a stark reminder of the consequences that can follow when prison records, police processes and the justice system fail to protect the identity and rights of a person in custody.