Lukman Adeyemi, a 50-year-old bricklayer, has been released after spending 24 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. His ordeal began when he was wrongfully arrested out of loyalty to a friend.
Adeyemi, who was just 26 when he was arrested, recounts his harrowing experience.
“I was tortured to the point of death over a crime I knew nothing about,” he said.
His journey through the justice system started with nine years in pre-trial detention, followed by 15 years on death row.
The conditions he faced were described as torturous. During interrogations by SARS Police officers, he endured severe physical and psychological torment, leading to coerced confessions.
“I felt abandoned by the truth itself,” Adeyemi reflected.
Adeyemi’s troubles began when he accompanied his friend, Ismaila Lasisi, to a police station. Both were arrested and accused of involvement in the murder of a woman who had been hired by some of Ismaila’s former friends. Despite knowing nothing about the crime, Adeyemi was charged and sentenced to death in 2009. Appeals to higher courts failed, and his claims of innocence were met with skepticism.
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Hope came when the Centre for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation (CJMR), led by Pastor Hezekiah Olujobi, took up his case.
“On July 17, 2023, the Centre for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation visited us at the Ibara Correctional Service. They listened to all of us, including the culprits who exonerated us,” Adeyemi said.
The real perpetrators confessed, and CJMR’s review of the case led to a breakthrough.
Pastor Olujobi highlighted issues like poor lawyering, misleading police information, and relentless prosecution as key factors in wrongful convictions.
“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,” Olujobi explained.
The CJMR reviewed the court judgments and found significant flaws. Their findings were forwarded to the Attorney-General of Ogun State and the Committee for the Board of Prerogative of Mercy. This led to the recognition of Adeyemi and Lasisi’s innocence.
“The real perpetrators confessed, leading to their release,” Olujobi confirmed.
The support from the Nigeria Correctional Service, the Committee for the Board of Mercy, and Governor Dapo Abiodun was instrumental in securing Adeyemi’s release.
Adeyemi expressed his gratitude, saying, “I am grateful that the Centre for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation intervened on my behalf, a beacon of hope in a sea of despair.”