SAHARA REPORTERS
A Nigerian man identified as Kolawole Oladeji has been languishing in jail since 1999, after being sentenced to death for being in possession of a stolen generator in Ogun State.
SaharaReporters learned that Kolawole was previously detained in a prison facility in Ogun State before being transferred to Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison in Apapa, Lagos State.
Speaking in an audio message exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters, the 64-year-old man said he was arrested on October 30, 1999, after a generator, allegedly stolen by someone else, was brought to his workshop for repair.
He said he was later charged and arraigned with three others for stealing the generator in 2003 following which the court sentenced him to death by hanging.
According to him, his death sentence was pronounced on January 14, 2003.
SaharaReporters learned that Kolawole was sentenced together with Sunday Oloyede, Ogbona Igbojionu and Segun Ajibade.
Kolawole claimed that Segun Ajibade whom he described as the culprit was freed in 2016 by then Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun.
He said: “I am a Yoruba person and I have been in jail since 1999 for a crime that I did not commit. I am a generator repairer and they gave me a generator to repair.
“The person that brought the generator to my workshop for repair has been released by Ibikunle Amosun, former governor of Ogun State because he has people that have money. Since then, I have been left here alone. My mother has died and my wife has also died.
“On that particular day, a customer approached me to repair the generator and after repairing it, Sunday Oloyede came to pick it up and took it to the Ogbona. I didn’t rob anyone and I didn’t know much about the generator; I was just a repairer.
“In 2016, they released the guy who brought the generator (main culprit) to the Amosun government. He has gone home.
“Since then, nobody has come for me, nothing has been done in my case. The main culprit has been released. We are three here: the driver who brought the generator and the person who wanted to sell.
“We have been in jail since 1999. They tried the case and sentenced me to death on January 14, 2003. I have been on death row since that time.”
THIS STORY FIRST APPEARED IN SAHARA REPORTERS
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