A Nigerian man has stirred emotions online after sharing the heartbreaking story of a man he claimed was imprisoned for 47 years after allegedly damaging a parked vehicle as a child in Maiduguri, Borno State.

According to the account, the boy was 13 years old and sold sugarcane from a wheelbarrow to support his father. While trying to move into the shade of a nearby tree to escape the scorching sun, he reportedly brushed against a parked car, causing one of its headlamps to fall off.

Unable to locate the vehicle’s owner, the boy allegedly decided to remain at the scene because his conscience would not allow him to leave.

The storyteller claimed that the owner of the vehicle, who had gone to a nearby mosque for prayers, later returned, called the police and had the boy arrested.

Sharing the emotional account, the man said:

“Recently, this 13-year-old boy just got released from prison after spending 47 years in prison, at the age of 60 years.”

He further alleged that the man was transferred between several correctional facilities across Nigeria throughout the period of his imprisonment.

“He was literally moved from one prison to the other all over Nigeria in the course of these 47 years in prison,” he claimed.

The story has since gone viral on social media, sparking widespread reactions. While many users expressed shock and sympathy over the account, others questioned its authenticity and called for independent verification of the claims.