Chiamaka, who’s seven months pregnant, was arrested in December 2022 and had been in custody until human rights activist Harrison Gwamnishu helped secure her release on Wednesday, April 19.
Recounting her ordeal following her release, she said it was her then-boyfriend who stole the towel from a hotel in Onitsha and brought it to her house.
She said she was at her home in December when the owner of the towel and a vigilante stormed her house and found the towel.
Chiamaka said she was whisked to the police station and afterward arraigned in court, and when she couldn’t fulfill her bail conditions, she was thrown into prison.
“It was my boyfriend who stole the towel and kept it in our compound. She said she took the towel and kept it in her house. The vigilante came with the owner of the towel and they discovered the towel in my house. The vigilante people took me to the police and the police took me to court”, she said.
Activist Harrison Gwamnishu who shared Chiamaka’s story on Instagram wrote,
“21-YEAR-OLD GIRL ACCUSED OF STEALING TOWEL RELEASED FROM ONITSHA PRISON. On Saturday, I posted about 21-year-old Chiamaka Okwuegbunam who has been in Prison since December 2022 on the allegation of Stealing a TOWEL.
I acted on the story I received and I approached the court for verification and discovered her story was true.
Yesterday I approached the court and perfected her bail conditions but was unable to secure her release as the magistrate was not on seat.Today, at about 2:58pm, Chiamaka walked out from Onitsha Prison a FREE WOMAN. Special thanks to you all for supporting and being part of what I do.Thank you all.”
Watch a video of Chiamaka after she was released below.
