By Hezekiah Olujobi

Wrongful convictions are a grave injustice that can have devastating consequences for individuals, families, and communities. In Nigeria, as in many other countries, cases of wrongful conviction have come to light, highlighting systemic issues within the criminal justice system. The wrongful imprisonment of innocent individuals not only deprives them of their freedom but also erodes public trust in the legal system.

In recent years, the Centre for Justice, Mercy, and Reconciliation (CJMR) has been at the forefront of advocating for individuals who have been wrongfully convicted in Nigeria.
On June 14th, 2024, the Centre for Justice, Mercy, and Reconciliation (CJMR) successfully secured the release of two individuals, Lukman Adeyemi and Ishmaila Lasisi, who had been wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for 24 years. Since then, we have been receiving calls from inmates on Death Row at Ibara Abeokuta, Kirikiri Maximum Security Custodial Centre in Apapa Lagos, and even from Dooly Prison in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America. These inmates claim that they have been sentenced to death for crimes they did not commit.

At Kirikiri Maximum Security Centre, three convicts from Osun State have sent messages to our office claiming innocence of the convictions they are awaiting execution for. Unfortunately, one of them is mentally derailed. The individual maintains that he never committed any crime with the person he was convicted with. A police officer from Osun State, who was accused by a fellow police officer of armed robbery in 2001 and sentenced to death over the allegation, has appealed for our intervention regarding the conviction. The man, Victor Akpoyibo, has sworn that he never committed such an offense in his life. The family of Robert Israel, who was sentenced to life imprisonment on June 13, 2024, by the Lagos State High Court for the alleged rape of a minor, has reached out to the Centre for Justice for help in rescuing their father and husband. The family expressed their dissatisfaction with the judgment, citing a lack of valid evidence.

Contact was made with the man in Kirikiri, and he also adamantly declared his innocence of the offense.

At Ibara Custodial Centre, we received phone calls from three individuals: Monsuru Mukaila, Abdulai Ogundijo (a driver), and a motor boy who were sentenced to death over allegations of armed robbery. The driver and his motor boy claimed that they were hired to transport iron rods from Mowe to Lagos, unaware that the iron rods were stolen. The individual who hired them was later released by the police, but due to inability to meet the demand for police bail, they were charged with armed robbery and sentenced to death.

Monsuru Nurudeen, an Okada rider, claimed he was falsely accused of being an armed robber because he rode an Okada without a number plate and got into an argument with others, leading to false testimony against him in court.

From Dooly Prison in Atlanta, Georgia, a Nigerian man, Olaniyi Adedoja, serving three life sentences plus 76 years for rape, has reached out to CJMR claiming innocence of the crime. A father of two children who married a Japanese woman, he maintains his innocence and seeks our intervention.

At the Centre for Justice, Mercy & Reconciliation, we are dedicated to seeking justice for individuals in these challenging circumstances. Upon hearing their stories, we carefully review the judgments from trial or appeal courts and connect these individuals with pro bono lawyers who can assist them. We cover the costs associated with transmitting court records for appeals and submit applications for review to the Board of Mercy if appeals are unsuccessful. If our arguments are compelling, the Board may consider granting freedom to these individuals.

Our mission is to ensure that those wrongfully convicted or detained receive the justice they deserve. We are committed to advocating for these individuals and working towards their release. While reviewing individual case files and proceedings, it became evident that these individuals are victims of circumstances.

Thorough investigations are necessary to validate the claims made by the inmates and determine the credibility of their assertions.

HOW WE ASSESS THE CREDIBILITY OF CLAIMS MADE BY THE INMATES?

To evaluate the credibility of claims made by individuals seeking intervention, the Centre for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation (CJMR) employs a thorough and systematic approach. Here are some common steps that CJMR usually takes to assess the credibility of claims:

CJMR conducts further investigations to gather more evidence, interview witnesses, or explore new leads that could shed light on the case.

We conduct an initial screening of the claims to gather basic information and determine the nature of the case.

We obtain certified true copies (CTC) of court documents for review, trial transcripts, and any available evidence related to the case to understand the legal proceedings and basis of the conviction.

We conduct interviews with the individuals seeking intervention, witnesses, and relevant parties to gather additional information and perspectives on the case.

We engage experts to analyze the legal aspects of each case, including potential errors in the legal process, inconsistencies in evidence, or violations of rights.

We verify the information provided by the individuals seeking intervention through independent fact-checking and corroborating evidence.

We examine any previous appeals, motions, or legal actions taken in the case to understand the history and challenges faced by the individuals.

We work closely with pro bono lawyers who can provide legal expertise and assist in evaluating the credibility of claims.

By following these steps and conducting a comprehensive assessment of each case, CJMR can make informed decisions regarding the credibility of claims and determine the appropriate course of action to advocate for justice on behalf of the individuals seeking intervention.

Below is a table listing our candidates.
DEATH ROW:
17 people on death row and life sentences are on the list of intervention.
S/N NAME Status State Convict D of Arrest Convicted Year spent
1 Adeyemi Faleye IDR Ogun State 28/2/2011 17/2/2018 13 Years
2 Monsuru Mukaila & IDR Ogun State 24/1/2017 20/5/2020 7 Years
3 Abdulai IDR Ogun State 24/1/2017 20/5/2020 7 Years
4 Monsuru Nurudeen IDR Ogun State 14/3/2016 27/6/2020 8 Years
5 Victor Akpoyibo IDR Osun State 25/11/ 2001 22/7/2010. 23 Years
6 Segun Olowookere& IDR Osun State 20/11/2010 3/12/2014 14 Years
7 Sunday Morakinyo IDR Osun State 20/11/2010 3/12/2014 14 Years
8 Sunday Bewaji IDR Osun State 22/9/2010 27/9/2015 14 Years
9 Friday Okoro IDR Oyo State 23/4/2009 15/5/2014 15 Years
10 Tunde Adewale IDR Oyo State 20/10/2010 7/10/2015 14 Years
11 Kolawole Makinde & IDR Ekiti State 6/10/2021 27/7/2022 3 Years
12 Haruna Bikau IDR Ekiti State 6/10/2021 27/7/2022 3 Years
13 Ebenezer Jacob & IDR Oyo State 15/5/2012 16/5/2024 12 Years
14 Anyim Chinweta and IDR Oyo State 16/5/2012 16/5/2024 12 Years
15 Demion Irekha IDR Oyo State 17/7/2012 16/5/2024 12 Years
16 Robert Israel Lifer Lagos State 29/9/2021 13/6/2024 3 Years
17 Adedoja Olaniyi BAH 3 Lifers Dooly State Prison, Geogia, USA 27/7/2017 9/12/2019 7 Years

We look forward to hearing from you to collaborate with us and join our team of volunteers.

Visit our website at https://www.cjmr.com.ng

You can click the donate button to offer your support.

Pastor Hezekiah Deboboye Olujobi is the Managing Director of Centre for Justice,  Mercy and Reconciliation (CJMR).

Globacom, Nigeria’s national telecommunications operator, has been described as an industry leader in the telecommunications sector by Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Abiodun Oyebanji.

He said this on Monday in the state capital of Ado Ekiti, when he met with a group of Glo representatives from the company’s Enterprise Business Group.

“Globacom is our own and a good ambassador of this country as far as telecommunications services are concerned”, Governor Oyebanji said, and added that the Ekiti State Government was prepared to do business with the company.

He also expressed gratitude to Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr., the Chairman of Globacom, for his services to Nigeria and the economy at large.

The governor said he would be happy to work with Globacom to advance the state’s digital economy and increase youth empowerment, particularly in the areas of expanding fibre connectivity services and the development of a digital economy in the state.

Adeniyi Odejobi, who the led the Glo team to the Governor’s office, said the company is not only the largest integrated telecommunications service provider in Nigeria, but it also serves millions of individuals nationwide as well as large corporates, public sector organizations, SMEs, and enterprises.

According to Adeniyi, Globacom has been at the forefront of revolutionary advances in the telecommunications sector for more than 20 years, all targeted at the empowerment of Nigerians.

By Dele Momodu

Last night, I received a distressing message from Mr David Adeleke (aka Davido). He was obviously devastated by the counter-affidavit submitted in court, earlier in the day, in response to his affidavit seeking a joint custody of his daughter with my niece Sophia Momodu.

I had seen David’s affidavit about two weeks ago and I was very surprised as David and I had spoken on a video call days earlier, with him and Pastor Tobi Adegboyega, and he never told me he had any custody issues with my niece. So you can imagine my confusion to find out via social media and subsequently confirmed by my niece that he had filed an action in court seeking joint custody of their daughter.

During the referenced video call, we were all very excited about his forthcoming wedding ceremony, an event our family congratulated him about. Prior to this, David had told me he eventually spoke to their daughter, after a long lull of about two years.

He was very happy and excited. So I thought everything was settled and he and Sophia would now have the opportunity of taking maximum care of their daughter. I had offered special thanks to David’s Dad, Dr Adedeji Adeleke, for his kindness and support for our daughter during the period of David’s absence.

I had also taken Sophia and their daughter to my very dear friend, Governor Ademola Adeleke, seeking his intervention. To the best of my knowledge, there was never a problem of joint custody. The issues were: non-payment of school fees for several sessions; non-payment of accommodation and salaries of a nanny. There was no car dedicated to David’s daughter. And so on. Mercifully, I mentioned all to Dr Adedeji Adeleke and he responded positively, like a true grandfather. On the issue of non-payment of school fees, David’s Dad cleared everything and also set up payments of future bills. He gave his grand daughter a car to take her to school. The remaining issue was on accommodation.

David’s Dad verbally offered, in his discussions with me, one of their family apartments in Oniru Estate, Victoria Island, however, maybe due to miscommunication, David’s lawyers had communicated otherwise. After Sophia clarified from me, she politely declined the offer, and her reason was tenable in my view, because, since she’s not married to David, she can’t be comfortable living in a place swarming with David’s family members.

She and her daughter had been living in Ikoyi before David and Sophia started their latest quarrels. Sophia’s request was that David should pay half of the accommodation while she would pay the other half. David said he could only contribute N5million annually.

My opinion is that the absence of camaraderie between David and Sophia has caused this debacle. I have cautioned repeatedly that their daughter must not be allowed to suffer or be treated like a second class child. David’s global status makes this imperative.

Sophia allowed David access to their daughter provided she has her nanny around 24/7. The 9-year old herself made this request and I believe this should be favorably considered and accepted. My grand niece had been released to go out with her cousins on several occasions.

The Governor’s daughter, Nike, was at Sophia’s house with the Governor’s grandson last Christmas Day, despite the fact that there wasn’t ample notice & she was still granted access.

Two months ago, the Governor’s son, Sina Rambo, requested a play date between the kids & Sophia rented out a children’s place in Victoria Island for them to spend hours together. The only time she couldn’t join her father’s family was when her grandfather requested to go on vacation with her for three weeks last year, as the notice was too short, and Sophia had already paid for their own trips, due to lack of communication between the parents.

The court yesterday referred the case for possible settlement by the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) section of the court during Settlement Week and I strongly advise that David (and Sophia) engage truly with the process as opposed to making harmful and irreversible statements on social media which not only violate the law but the interest of their child. I have in the past 9 years tried my best to ensure amicable resolution of disputes and encouraged both parents to have a proper structure put in place for the welfare of their daughter. It is important to note that Sophia did not instigate this court action and is only seeking to protect their daughter and ensure that there is a structured, safe and sustainable manner in which father and child can engage with each other.

The vitriolic rhetoric in the media should be avoided by all means as this only further inflames what is already a traumatic experience for all parties involved, especially the child in question.