By Pastor Hezekiah Olujobi

My journey into the plight of individuals on death row began on February 28, 2007, during a visit to the Kirikiri Maximum Custodial Centre in Lagos, Nigeria. Invited by the late Reverend Olu-Osewa, Bishop of the Arch Bishop Vanny Memorial Anglican Church, I was introduced to the harrowing stories of inmates sentenced to death, particularly the case of two brothers who had spent 18 years on death row.

During our visit, after my ministry at a church prison conference, Reverend Olu-Osewa shared the case of the two brothers sentenced by the Oyo State Tribunal Court. He expressed a desire to seek a pardon from the Governor, which prompted my visit to Kirikiri. Accompanied by a team from the Arch Bishop Vinny Prison Ministry Represented by Sir Tinuoye and Esther Okafor and my team from Ibadan, we entered the prison with the hope of advocating for these men.

Upon arrival, a prison officer revealed another case that would profoundly impact our mission. He spoke of Olaniyi Emiola, who had been wrongfully convicted of armed robbery. Olaniyi’s story was one of mistaken identity and wrongful accusations, leading to his conviction despite the lack of concrete evidence against him.

Olaniyi recounted how he was wrongfully arrested after armed robbers committed a crime near his home. One of the robbers was apprehended at the scene and began mentioning names of his accomplices, coincidentally including Olaniyi’s name. A neighbor, who recognized the name, suggested Olaniyi’s arrest. Although the real perpetrator denied that Olaniyi was involved and even took the police to the house of the actual criminal, the latter had already fled. Olaniyi was released as the police confirmed that the real Niyi who participated in the crime had escaped, but a retired army officer living on the same street where the robbery took place, motivated by personal bias, petitioned for his re-arrest.

During the trial, the retired army officer always came to court in his army uniform before the members of the tribunal. Despite the armed robbers’ claims of his innocence during the trial, Olaniyi was ultimately sentenced to death.

Years later, the actual perpetrators were apprehended for another crime and ended up on death row in the same prison as Olaniyi. The real perpetrator raised the alarm to Olaniyi, revealing the truth about the crime.

Our team traveled to Abeokuta to meet with the real perpetrators, who provided written confessions of their involvement in the crime. Armed with this new evidence, we submitted our findings to the then-Governor of Oyo State, Late Otunba Adebayo Alao Akala.

On October 1, 2008, Olaniyi’s death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. I continued to advocate for his release, arguing that if he were actually part of the robbery incident, would he have remained in his house for three days knowing that one of them had been arrested? Moreover, he had already suffered enough. On January 21, 2011, after 17 years of wrongful imprisonment, Olaniyi Emiola was finally freed.

Inspired by Olaniyi’s case, I began to hear from other inmates on death row, many of whom claimed innocence. In 2007, over 20 inmates approached us, including Olusola Adepetu. We selected five cases for further investigation, collecting case files and reviewing the judgments to gather evidence to support their claims—a task that is both crucial and daunting.

Through collaboration with lawyers who offered pro bono services, several inmates were able to appeal their convictions. Notably, many of them were set free after spending 14 to 28 years behind bars unjustly. The number of individuals we have helped has now increased to 24, and it continues to grow.

The experience of advocating for Olaniyi Emiola and other inmates on death row opened my eyes to the systemic issues within the justice system. Today, we are receiving calls from all over the prison system for intervention.

Recently, I received another call from another prison regarding a case similar to Olaniyi Emiola’s—a man serving life imprisonment for a crime he did not commit. The prison welfare officer was pleading for our attention, as the real perpetrator who confessed to the crime could be released at any time, underscoring the urgent need for continued advocacy and intervention for those wrongfully convicted.

Presently, we have identified 16 cases on death row of wrongful conviction from Ekiti, Osun, Ogun, and Oyo States. Destinies are trapped, and the lives of their families are negatively impacted. They are doomed without hope.

This ongoing journey has reinforced our commitment to fighting for justice and raising awareness about the plight of those on death row, ensuring that their voices are heard and their stories are told.

In other to amplify our voice share our story, ask friends to visit our website and donate to our cause.

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