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The Lagos State Government has dismissed allegations circulating in a viral social media video claiming that a 14-year-old boy identified as Michael Adekunle was unlawfully arrested and detained without trial at the Kirikiri custodial facility.
In a statement issued by the Office of the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, the government described the claims as “deliberate misinformation” intended to mislead the public and generate sympathy for the accused person.
The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, clarified that the individual at the centre of the controversy is actually Michael Adebiyi, who was 18 years old at the time of his arrest in 2022, according to official records.
He explained that Adebiyi was arrested alongside Adedeji Kabiru and Adekunle Waris over allegations of armed robbery.
According to the statement, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions received the duplicate case file on January 6, 2023, for legal advice and issued its recommendation on January 25, 2023.
The legal advice established a prima facie case against Adebiyi and Kabiru for alleged conspiracy to commit robbery and armed robbery under Sections 299 and 297(2)(a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
However, the government noted that Adekunle Waris was discharged and released after investigators found no evidence linking him to the alleged offences.
The Attorney-General’s office further disclosed that criminal charges were filed before the Lagos State High Court on May 31, 2023, and initially assigned to Justice A.J. Coker before being reassigned to Justice H.O. Oshodi following Justice Coker’s redeployment on national assignment.
It added that the prosecution has already closed its case in the ongoing trial before Justice Oshodi.
According to the statement, the defence team recently filed a no-case submission challenging the evidence presented by the prosecution. The application was served on the state on April 23, 2026, and the matter has been adjourned until July 1, 2026, for hearing.
Reacting specifically to claims about the defendant’s age, the government insisted that both the defendant’s statement and official records consistently identified him as Michael Adebiyi, aged 18 at the time of arrest, not “Michael Adekunle,” aged 14, as alleged in the viral video.
It also stated that at no point during proceedings before the trial courts did the defendant or his lawyers raise any objection regarding identity or age.
The government added that, had such concerns been raised earlier, the court would have been empowered to conduct an age inquiry under Section 206 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The statement urged the public to disregard the viral video, insisting that the claims do not align with court records or prosecution files.
“The video appears to have been deliberately circulated with the intention of whipping up public sentiment and generating undue sympathy on social media in favour of the defendant’s release,” the statement said.
Lagos govt denies viral claim of 14-year-old boy’s illegal detention
