Imo Widow Pleads for Release of Son Sentenced to Death 28 Years Ago Over Alleged Robbery
Mrs. Celestina Amadi, a 75-year-old widow from Abazu Akabo in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, has narrated the painful ordeal of her son, David Amadi, who has spent 28 years in prison after being sentenced to death for an alleged robbery she insists he did not commit.
David, who was 17 years old at the time of his arrest in 1998, is now 45. According to his mother, he was arrested while attending a dance event in Uzoagba with another young man. Police officers, acting on a complaint by one Vita, searched for and apprehended him at a funeral gathering.
“He was dragged out, kicked, and bundled into a vehicle to Owerri,” Mrs. Amadi recounted. She said she was harvesting cassava on the farm when the incident occurred. Her husband later died from high blood pressure, which she attributed to the trauma of their son’s arrest and continued detention.
The widow explained that after David’s arrest, police searched their home but found nothing incriminating. They also arrested another resident, Ikechi. A third suspect, Matthew, was later arrested in Port Harcourt and allegedly tortured into making a confession that implicated the others.
“No evidence was presented in court to show that my son was at the complainant’s house or participated in any robbery,” Mrs. Amadi stated. She noted that the complainant, Vita, told the court the robbers wore masks.
In a High Court judgment delivered by Justice Ukachukwu from Orlu, David and his co-accused were sentenced to death. Appeals to the Court of Appeal in Owerri and the Supreme Court were unsuccessful, upholding the conviction.
Mrs. Amadi revealed that the families endured additional hardship during the two years the suspects were remanded without trial. She claimed Matthew exhibited signs of mental distress in court, banging on chairs and declaring his innocence, a scene that reportedly occurred before the death sentence was passed. The judge himself died shortly after the case concluded.
The three convicts remain incarcerated—two in Port Harcourt Prison and one in Lagos Prison. Mrs. Amadi said the family has exhausted legal options and now relies on occasional support to provide food for her son.
The widow made a passionate appeal to the Imo State Government for the release of the three men, insisting they were wrongly convicted. “We want anything that can be done to secure their release because they are innocent. We want them back home,” she said.
She dismissed any notion of reconciliation with the complainant, describing the pain as still fresh after 28 years. “If you were in my position, would you reconcile with someone who sent your son to prison even though he was innocent?” she asked.
Mrs. Amadi, who has nine children, said the family is prepared to support David’s reintegration if released, including helping him marry and start a business. His elder brother, Innocent Amadi, has pledged full support, even offering to sell his vehicle if necessary.
The families of the other convicts are similarly seeking justice and their sons’ freedom. Mrs. Amadi mentioned recent contact with the Ratel family and their lawyer but expressed hope that public attention to the case would aid their cause.
Credit: Punch Newspaper
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