How Gospel Kinanee Lived 18 Years In Prison As A Ghost
F
For 18 years, Gospel Uebari Kinanee lived behind bars with no identity, no legal record, and no charge—a forgotten teenager who became a “ghost” in Nigeria’s prison system. His heartbreaking ordeal has finally come to an end, thanks to the intervention of Haven360 Foundation.
Gospel disappeared in 2007 at the age of 14. According to his family in Ogoni, Rivers State, he had been sleeping outside when police officers allegedly picked him up—an act they believe was instigated by a powerful neighbor. For nearly two decades, his whereabouts remained unknown. His family searched, filed reports, and eventually assumed he was dead.
The breakthrough came in September 2024 during a prison outreach by the Haven360 Foundation. There, volunteers met Gospel—confused, withdrawn, and mentally unwell. They were alarmed to discover there was no official documentation about him.
“There was no record. No case file. No name. It was as if he didn’t exist,” said the foundation in a statement. “Gospel was a ghost behind bars.”
Despite his limited ability to communicate, the Foundation pressed on. After months of investigation, including petitions and community outreach, they traced a possible link to a remote village in Ogoni. There, they located his family, who identified him and confirmed he had been missing since 2007.
On July 17, 2025, Gospel appeared before the Chief Judge of Rivers State at the Goal Delivery Court. The judge formally discharged him, confirming that no legal case had ever existed. Gospel walked out of prison a free man for the first time in 18 years.
“This is more than a case of wrongful imprisonment,” the statement added, “It is a painful reminder of how Nigeria’s justice system can fail the most vulnerable, especially when no one is watching.”
The foundation has since reunited Gospel with his family, offered financial support for transportation and reintegration, and is arranging medical and psychological care for his recovery.
“This is a story of restoration,” the foundation said. “It’s what happens when compassion triumphs over bureaucracy—when we choose not to look away.”
