A dramatic moment unfolded at a Lagos courtroom on Wednesday after a young mother, who recently gave birth in prison, regained her freedom under unexpected circumstances.
According to eyewitness accounts, a lawyer who wasn’t even scheduled to appear in court that day decided to walk in after being told his own matter was not listed. What he encountered left him stunned.
Just minutes after he took a seat, a young woman in her early 20s walked in, dressed in a prison uniform and holding her one-month-old baby. She had reportedly given birth inside the prison a month earlier.
The lawyer approached her to understand her situation and was shocked to learn that she had been arrested in April for a minor offence while pregnant — and had remained in custody since then. Even worse, she had been attending court proceedings without legal representation.
When her case was called, the lawyer immediately stood up and announced appearance on her behalf.
The complainant was absent. Although the prosecutor was present, they were again unprepared to proceed — a pattern that had allegedly repeated over several adjournments. The lawyer urged the court to strike out the matter and acquit the young mother, citing provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) of Lagos State and relevant case authorities.
In a ruling delivered by Her Honour, Mrs. A. K. Dosunmu Uthman, the court struck out the charge, discharged, and acquitted the defendant. The courtroom reportedly erupted in applause as the young mother, identified as John Mary, walked out a free woman.
The lawyer later shared that he left the courtroom smiling, convinced that his unexpected decision to step inside was divinely orchestrated.
The touching story was shared by Barrister Alex on X.
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