- Watch video of Nigerians languishing in prison.
Lukman Adeyemi, a 50-year-old bricklayer, recounts his harrowing 24-year ordeal behind bars, the result of a misguided act of loyalty towards a friend.
His story, reported by Vanguard, highlights systemic flaws and injustices that led to his prolonged and wrongful incarceration.
Adeyemi describes his initial encounter with the justice system as a descent into hopelessness. He spent nine years in pre-trial detention, followed by an unbearable 15 years on death row.
The conditions he faced were nothing short of torturous, akin to a dark and endless nightmare.
During interrogations by SARS Police officers, Adeyemi endured severe physical and psychological torment, leading to coerced confessions for crimes he knew nothing about.
Reflecting on his unjust predicament, Adeyemi questions the integrity and fairness of the system.
Despite being an innocent bystander, he was entangled in a legal quagmire that seemed insurmountable. His decision to accompany his friend Ismaila Lasisi to the police station, out of loyalty, led to his wrongful arrest and subsequent incarceration.
Throughout his imprisonment, Adeyemi faced scepticism and disbelief when attempting to share his truth. This prevailing sentiment of doubt and suspicion only added to his misery, as he grappled with false accusations and a lack of justice.
However, hope emerged when he encountered the Centre for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation, headed by Pastor Hezekiah Olujobi. Their support and advocacy signalled a potential breakthrough in his quest for freedom.
Adeyemi shared his story: “I am Lukman Adeyemi, a native of Iwere-Ile, Iwajowa Local Government, Oyo State. I am a bricklayer by profession. I was 26 years old when I had this problem. In August 2000, after returning home from work with a friend living with me, Ismaila Lasisi, we were told that the police came looking for Ismaila and he was asked to report to the station.
“I immediately decided to follow him to the station. Lo and behold, I was arrested and detained along with him. I was tortured to the point of death over a crime I knew nothing about, right from the police station. I had a close shave with death over the murder of a woman hired by some of Ismaila’s ex-friends to fetch water for them at a construction site. The woman left home in the morning and never returned.
“Ismaila once lived with them. He begged to live with me after a misunderstanding with these people in March. I knew these people from a distance. Our paths never crossed. This was how I was charged to court along with these people over an offence I knew nothing about. In 2009, we were sentenced to death. We filed separate appeals, but they failed up to the Supreme Court.
“My story of innocence to whoever cared to listen fell on deaf ears, with many questioning, ‘If you’re not one of them, why mention your name?’ and ‘If truly you are innocent, why can’t the court free you?’
“I felt abandoned by the truth itself. I spent 24 years behind bars like 24 hours, a sleepless night that lasted for two decades.
“In June 2023, one of the officers of the Correctional Service, Deputy Superintendent of Correctional (DSC) AbdulKareem Awesu, introduced my case to a pastor, and I spoke with him on the phone.”
The Centre for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation steps in “On July 17, 2023, the Centre for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation (CJMR), led by Pastor Hezekiah Olujobi, visited us at the Ibara Correctional Service. They listened to all of us, including the culprits who exonerated us. The organization reviewed our judgment and shed light on our innocence. June 14, 2024, will remain an evergreen and memorable day in my life. Light shone upon me; rain fell on my head for the first time, and I saw the moon for the first time.
“I never knew I could pay for the sin of another man. How could I have committed an offence and still boldly walk into a police station to report myself?
“I am grateful that the Centre for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation intervened on my behalf, a beacon of hope in a sea of despair. Their belief in my innocence reignited the flame of justice within me, propelling me toward the possibility of redemption.”
The Executive Director of CJMR, Pastor Hezekiah Olujobi, elaborated on their efforts: “Our attention was drawn to the complaints of these two individuals by Welfare Officer DCP Awesu, who assured us of their innocence and the efforts made through the legal process without justice.
“We visited the Ibara Custodial Centre in Abeokuta to hear from them. The true perpetrators confessed that they committed the crime and that Adeyemi and Lasisi were innocent. We reviewed their judgments from both the trial court and the Supreme Court and found that the state’s presentation before the appellate court never allowed the court to shift ground.
“Lukman Adeyemi and his friend filed separate appeals to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. None of the lawyers explored the way of arresting each person involved in this case. The course of probing the arrest process unfolded the truth.
Below is a video of Nigerians languishing in prison.
