The family of Gospel Kinanee has demanded justice after he was reportedly found in the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre 18 years after he disappeared from home as a 14-year-old boy.
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Gospel’s elder brother, who narrated the family’s ordeal, said the victim went missing in 2007 after leaving home to play with his peers.
According to him, Gospel had returned home earlier that day to eat before going out again, but he never came back.
He said the family became worried when the teenager failed to return home by 8 p.m. or 9 p.m., prompting a search across the community.
“We noticed he was missing around 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. when he did not come back home to sleep. My parents and everyone else were worried. We searched everywhere for him, but we could not find him,” he said.
The family initially thought Gospel might have gone to spend the night with a friend, but their fears deepened when the search continued for days without success.
He said the family searched police stations, hospitals, prison yards and several parts of Ogoni and Port Harcourt, but found no trace of him.
The elder brother said the disappearance shattered the family and contributed to the death of their parents, who both died the same year due to the emotional trauma.
“His disappearance led to the death of my father and mother. They both died the same year when the pain became too much for them to bear,” he said.
He added that their father sold several properties, including a large farmland for ₦300,000, in a desperate search for Gospel.
According to him, the family eventually gave up hope and believed Gospel was dead, until early 2025 when he received a call informing him that his brother had been found in Port Harcourt Correctional Centre.
He said he initially dismissed the information because the family had searched for years without success.
“I told them that my brother was dead because we had searched for him for years and given up, only for someone to call me 18 years later, saying he had been found,” he said.
He explained that Gospel was discovered by a group of lawyers who had gone to the correctional centre on a prison welfare and inmate rehabilitation mission.
The lawyers reportedly contacted the family and asked them to come to the correctional centre for identification and possible release.
When he got to the lawyers’ office, he met the team lead, Cyrus Onu, who interviewed him and completed some documentation before taking him to the Director of the Correctional Centre.
He said he broke down in tears when he saw Gospel, who was no longer mentally stable and could not recognise him.
“Immediately I got there, I saw my brother outside, but he could no longer recognise me. I broke down in tears because I recognised him, and he was not looking sane at all,” he said.
“He had been in prison for 18 years. He was locked up there when he was 14 years old, and he is now 32 years old.”
The family said Gospel was healthy, normal and agile before he disappeared, adding that his present mental condition raised serious questions about what happened to him while in custody.
“My brother was very normal and agile. There was nothing wrong with him before his disappearance. He was a very healthy and strong boy,” he said.
He disclosed that Gospel was later released after the Chief Judge of Rivers State granted him clemency.
He said the family was happy to see him alive, but devastated by his condition.
Since his release, Gospel has been living with his elder brother and receiving medical attention, with support from Onu and other lawyers who helped secure his freedom.
The family said medical tests showed that Gospel was physically stable in other areas, but still battling mental health challenges.
“They conducted almost 50 tests on him at the hospital. They discovered that he was okay in other areas apart from his mental condition,” he said.
The family said no official explanation had been given by the police or correctional authorities for Gospel’s detention.
According to the elder brother, there was no case file or clear record showing why Gospel was imprisoned for 18 years.
“They don’t even know the reason he was locked up. They could not give us any reason for his incarceration,” he said.
“There was not even a case file for him when we requested information about his offence. He was just dumped there.”
He lamented that Gospel, who was in Elementary Three at Community Primary School when he disappeared, had lost his childhood, education and future.
He said the family had filed a suit against the correctional authorities and the state government, demanding justice and compensation.
According to him, the matter is expected to come up in court on Monday.
He also alleged that the family had received threats from prison officials, who reportedly warned them to stop speaking to the media and seeking justice.
“They have been calling me and seriously warning me against speaking to our lawyers and using social media to fight our cause,” he said.
“They said we should instead be thanking them for helping to release my brother.”
He said the family was now afraid for its safety but remained determined to pursue justice.
The family is demanding compensation, proper rehabilitation, shelter and support to enable Gospel start life again after losing 18 years in custody.
“He is a human being. For many years, he was left suffering. They did not bother to look for his relatives. So, they must pay,” he said.
“They must compensate him for the damage they caused him and his family. He needs shelter and proper care, and he has to start life all over again.”
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