In a troubling story about unfair treatment in Nigeria’s legal system, Lukman Adeyemi has shared how he spent 24 years in prison.

His troubles began when he tried to help a friend by escorting him to the police station for a crime he was completely unaware of.

In a video shared on her social media X handle, @vanguardngrnews, Adeyemi spoke about feeling hopeless when he first got caught up in the system.

He spent nine years waiting for his trial and then another painful 15 years on death row.

His story:

"My name is Lukman Adeyemi, from Iwerele, Iwajowa Local Government, Oyo State. I work as a Bricklayer. I was 26 years old when this ordeal began. In August 2000, after returning home from work with my friend Ismaila Lasisi, police came looking for him and asked him to report to the station.

"I went with him to the station, but unexpectedly, I was also arrested and detained. From the moment I was taken to the police station, I was tortured severely, even though I knew nothing about the crime. I narrowly escaped death over the murder of a woman hired by some former friends of Ismaila Lasisi to fetch water at a construction site. The woman left home in the morning and never returned.

"He said the conditions were terrible, like living through a never-ending nightmare.

Furthermore, he remembered being questioned by SARS Police officers, who forced him to confess to crimes he didn’t know about, adding that they used threats and pressure to make him admit to things he didn’t do, causing him a lot of physical and mental suffering.

His words:

"Ismaila Lasisi used to live with me. He asked to stay with me after he had a disagreement with some people in March. I didn't know those people well, we never interacted in any way.

"That's how I got charged in court along with them for something I had no knowledge of. In 2009, we were all sentenced to death. We each appealed separately, but our appeals were rejected by the Supreme Court.

"No one believed my story of innocence. People asked, 'If you're not involved, why are you mentioned?' 'If you're truly innocent, why hasn't the court set you free?'

"I felt abandoned by justice itself. I spent 24 years in prison feeling like it was just a single night that never ended."

Centre for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation intervenes

However, The Nigerian Tribune reported that hope appeared when he met the Centre for Justice, Mercy, and Reconciliation (CJMR) and their team, who offered support and advocacy for him.

With the help of Pastor Hezekiah Olujobi and his organization, he felt a renewed sense of optimism and saw a chance for freedom.

He said: "In June 2023, Deputy Superintendent of Correctional (DSC) AbdulKareem Awesu brought my case to the attention of a pastor, and I spoke with him on the phone.

"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 everyone, including the real culprits who cleared our names.

"The organization reviewed our judgments and highlighted our innocence. June 14, 2024, will always be a memorable day for me. For the first time, I felt the rain, saw the moon, and experienced freedom.

"I never thought I could suffer for someone else's crime. If I were guilty, why would I walk into a police station to report myself?

"I'm thankful to the CJMR for their intervention. Their belief in my innocence gave me hope and reignited my faith in justice, leading me toward the possibility of redemption."

Pastor Hezekiah Deboboye Olujobi, the Executive Director of the Centre for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation (CJMR), an NGO based in Ibadan, highlighted the innocence of Lukman Adeyemi and Ismaila Lasisi.

He explained:

"Our attention was brought to their case by Welfare Officer DCP Awesu, who assured us of their innocence and the lack of justice in their legal process. We visited the Ibara Custodial Centre in Abeokuta to speak with them. The actual culprits admitted to us that they committed the crime and that Adeyemi and Lasisi were innocent.

"After a thorough questioning, the two men consistently maintained their innocence. Initially, their claims seemed doubtful until I read the judgments from both the trial court and the Supreme Court. The state's presentation at the appellate court was so strong that it left no room for doubt in the court's decision."

How I spent 24 years in prison for following friend to police station - Lukman Adeyemi pic.twitter.com/BEh4zklTtz

— Vanguard Newspapers (@vanguardngrnews) June 29, 2024