One day, while stuck in Lagos traffic, I witnessed a heart-wrenching scene that left an indelible mark. A police truck with prisoners stopped nearby, presumably transporting them between stations. The prisoners, crammed into the back of the truck, appeared utterly dehumanised—many with chapped skin, peeling wounds, and visible sores. Some extended their hands through the bars, begging passers-by for money.
Adding to their suffering, the police officers occasionally turned around to flog them for daring to ask for help. Their eyes reflected deep pain and hopelessness. While I might have once thought, “These criminals deserve this,” I couldn’t help but wonder: What if some of them are innocent? What if they are victims of Nigeria’s flawed justice system? This haunting moment brought the work of Oluyemi Orija and the Headfort Foundation into sharper focus for me.
Oluyemi Orija is on a mission to transform Nigeria’s justice system. A lawyer and founder of the Headfort Foundation, she is determined to ensure no one is denied justice simply because they cannot afford legal representation. Since 2019, her foundation has secured the release of over 600 awaiting-trial inmates and provided free legal aid to more than 12,000 Nigerians.
With a law degree from Ekiti State University and a master’s from the University of South Wales, Oluyemi Orija combines her expertise with compassion to tackle systemic injustices. Her foundation’s mobile app connects individuals to pro bono lawyers, bridging the gap for marginalised communities. Recognised globally by platforms like the BBC and Nas Daily, Oluyemi is reshaping conversations around wrongful incarceration in Nigeria.
In this exclusive conversation with The Benchmark, Oluyemi reflects on the challenges and triumphs of 2024 and shares her vision for 2025. From surpassing the year’s target of freeing 200 unjustly detained individuals to advocating for victims of sexual violence, she highlights projects that deeply impacted her on a personal level.
For 2025, Orija outlines ambitious goals: scaling legal aid, advocating for critical reforms, and addressing dire prison conditions, particularly inadequate healthcare. Her plans include collaborative advocacy with other justice stakeholders and targeted efforts to improve medical facilities for prisoners.
The Benchmark: You have been running the Headfort Foundation for nearly six years. What keeps you motivated to continue fighting for justice?
Oluyemi Orija: We started in March 2019, about six years ago. Since then, it has been challenging, rewarding, and fulfilling. What keeps me going, I’d say, is the joy that comes with each person’s victory in accessing justice.
For instance, when you help someone escape prison, they return, thanking and praying for you. The joy, the smile, and the knowledge that we’re reuniting families who had lost hope—those moments are incredibly uplifting.
So even when it gets so tough that I feel like giving up, I think of those beautiful reunions, and they give me the strength to keep going despite the daily challenges.
Looking back at 2024, what was your most significant achievement or proudest moment with the Headfort Foundation this year?
Many achievements have been made, but I’ll highlight one for this conversation. At the start of December, we surpassed our goal of helping 200 people out of prison in 2024.
Every year, we set a target. For 2024, we aimed to assist 200 unjustly incarcerated individuals in regaining their freedom. As of now, we’ve already helped 212 people. Surpassing that goal was my proudest moment of the year.
Was there a particular case or project this year that deeply impacted you personally?
This year, we undertook a project that addressed a long-standing question about why most of our beneficiaries have been men and what we are doing for women.
We implemented a significant initiative benefiting women and girls who are victims or survivors of sexual violence and want to seek justice. Many of these individuals lack the means to access justice, and the justice system itself often adds to their challenges.
Through an empowerment project, we educated over 200 women and girls. We invited judges, police officers, female officers, and prosecutors from the Ministry of Justice in Ogun State to engage with them directly. They explained how the justice system works and provided practical guidance on preserving evidence to ensure cases are held up in court and perpetrators are held accountable.
As a woman and mother, seeing these girls—80% of whom have experienced sexual violence—gain the knowledge and confidence to pursue justice was profoundly moving and fulfilling for me.
As we enter 2025, what are your top three priorities for the Headfort Foundation?
We’ve realised that legal aid alone cannot solve the problems within Nigeria’s justice system. Collaboration is essential to address the systemic issues we face. We aim to work more closely with other organisations and stakeholders in the justice system, including the judiciary, prison services, and law enforcement.
Our top priority for 2025 is to advocate for critical reforms in the Nigerian justice system. While we’ll continue our legal aid work, we plan to focus more on advocacy to amplify our message and drive systemic change.
Second, we aim to improve welfare within prisons, particularly in healthcare. Recently, my team in Ekiti State provided medical support to inmates with the help of volunteer health practitioners. The health conditions in Nigerian prisons are abysmal, and many inmates leave prison physically or mentally damaged.
This year alone, we lost five clients before their cases concluded. One of them passed away just four days after their release. These losses underscore the urgent need for better prison medical care, our primary focus in 2025.
Finally, we intend to increase our targets for assisting unjustly incarcerated individuals and hope to surpass those goals as we did this year.
What advice would you give young lawyers who want to make a difference through advocacy and public service?
If you’re passionate about something and have identified your passion, start working on it.
Not everyone has the entrepreneurial spirit to start an organisation, and that’s okay. If starting something feels daunting, consider volunteering with an organisation already doing work you care about. It’s incredibly fulfilling to help someone who cannot repay you—it’s a unique kind of satisfaction.
Even if you can’t start big, start small. I always say you don’t need money to begin; you only need money to scale. The problems are everywhere, not just in Lagos, so you can start wherever you are.
Collaborate as much as possible, especially in the early stages, as this helps build visibility and credibility.
My advice is simple: start small, but dream big
