Missing Kwara Nursing Student Found in Police Custody Who Denied Her Phone Access For 5 Days

A 20-year-old student of the Kwara State College of Nursing Sciences, who was declared missing after leaving Ilorin on January 22, 2026, has been found in police custody, sparking public outrage over alleged unlawful detention.

The student’s disappearance triggered widespread concern on social media, where her photograph and contact details were circulated as family members and well-wishers appealed for information on her whereabouts. Five days later, on January 27, her brother announced that she had been detained by the police since the day she went missing.

According to the family, the student was held without access to her phone and without any formal notification to her relatives. The police reportedly linked her detention vaguely to issues involving her friend and boyfriend, but no specific charges were disclosed.

The revelation ignited backlash online, with many Nigerians condemning what they described as a clear violation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), which stipulates that suspects must not be detained for more than 48 hours without charge. Social media users shared similar experiences of prolonged detentions and called for urgent reforms and accountability within the policing system.

Amid the backlash, the student’s family expressed gratitude to social media users whose persistent online campaign helped uncover her location. Calls for her immediate release or formal charging, in line with the law, continue to trend as the incident fuels renewed debate about police conduct and detainees’ rights in Nigeria.