01/16/2025
The one among thousands not far at all
64-Year-Old Nigerian Man Imprisoned Since 1999 And Sentenced to D+ath in 2003 For Allegedly A Repairing Stolen Generator, Seeks Justice
A 64-year-old Nigerian man identified asKolawole Oladeji, has been imprisoned since 1999 after being sentenced to d+ath for allegedly possessing a stolen generator in Ogun State.
Initially detained in Ogun, he was later transferred to Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison in Lagos.
Speaking in an audio message obtained by SaharaReporters, Kolawole explained that he was arrested on October 30, 1999, after someone brought a generator, allegedly stolen, to his workshop for repair. He was charged alongside three others—Sunday Oloyede, Ogbona Igbojionu, and Segun Ajibade—and sentenced to d+ath by hanging in 2003. His d+ath sentence was pronounced on January 14, 2003.
Kolawole claimed that Segun Ajibade, whom he described as the real culprit, was released in 2016 by former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun. However, Kolawole and two others remain on death row.
“I’ve been in jail since 1999 for a crime I didn’t commit. I repair generators. Someone brought one to me for repair, and after fixing it, another person picked it up. I wasn’t involved in any theft,” he said. “The real culprit was released because he had connections. Since then, no one has come for me. My mother and wife have both d+ed while I’ve been here.”
Kolawole’s ordeal highlights the plight of prisoners who remain in jail for years without a fair review of their cases. Despite the release of the alleged culprit, Kolawole continues to seek justice after over two decades behind bars.
