Lukman Adeyemi, a 50-year-old bricklayer, has finally been released after spending 24 years in prison due to a misguided act of loyalty towards a friend. His ordeal, highlighted by Vanguard, exposes the systemic flaws and injustices that led to his prolonged and wrongful incarceration.
Adeyemi’s journey through the justice system began with hopelessness. He endured nine years in pre-trial detention followed by 15 years on death row. The conditions he faced were torturous, akin to a dark and endless nightmare. During interrogations by SARS Police officers, Adeyemi was subjected to severe physical and psychological torment, leading to coerced confessions for crimes he did not commit.
Reflecting on his ordeal, Adeyemi questioned the integrity and fairness of the system. Despite his innocence, he became ensnared in a legal quagmire. His loyalty to his friend Ismaila Lasisi led him to accompany Lasisi to the police station, resulting in his wrongful arrest and incarceration.
Throughout his imprisonment, Adeyemi faced skepticism and disbelief when sharing his story. The prevailing sentiment of doubt only added to his misery, as he grappled with false accusations and a lack of justice. However, hope emerged when he encountered the Centre for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation, headed by Pastor Hezekiah Olujobi. Their support and advocacy marked a potential breakthrough in his quest for freedom.
Adeyemi recounted his experience: “I am Lukman Adeyemi, a native of Iwere-Ile, Iwajowa Local Government, Oyo State. I am a bricklayer by profession. I was 26 years old when I had this problem. In August 2000, after returning home from work with a friend, Ismaila Lasisi, we were told that the police came looking for Ismaila and he was asked to report to the station. I immediately decided to follow him to the station. Lo and behold, I was arrested and detained along with him. I was tortured to the point of death over a crime I knew nothing about.”
He continued, “The murder involved a woman hired by some of Ismaila’s ex-friends to fetch water at a construction site. The woman left home in the morning and never returned. Ismaila once lived with them and moved in with me after a misunderstanding with these people in March. I knew them only from a distance. This was how I was charged to court along with these people over an offence I knew nothing about. In 2009, we were sentenced to death. We filed separate appeals, but they failed up to the Supreme Court.”
“My claims of innocence fell on deaf ears, with many questioning why I was mentioned if I wasn’t involved, and why the court hadn’t freed me if I was truly innocent. I felt abandoned by the truth itself. I spent 24 years behind bars, like 24 sleepless nights that lasted for two decades.”
In June 2023, a Correctional Service officer, Deputy Superintendent AbdulKareem Awesu, introduced Adeyemi’s case to Pastor Olujobi. The Centre for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation then visited the Ibara Correctional Service on July 17, 2023. They listened to Adeyemi and the actual culprits who exonerated him. The organization reviewed the judgment and confirmed Adeyemi’s innocence.
June 14, 2024, became a memorable day for Adeyemi. “Light shone upon me; rain fell on my head for the first time, and I saw the moon for the first time. I never knew I could pay for the sin of another man. How could I have committed an offence and still boldly walk into a police station to report myself? I am grateful that the Centre for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation intervened on my behalf. Their belief in my innocence reignited the flame of justice within me, propelling me toward the possibility of redemption.”
Pastor Olujobi, Executive Director of CJMR, elaborated on their efforts: “Our attention was drawn to the complaints of these two individuals by Welfare Officer DCP Awesu, who assured us of their innocence and the efforts made through the legal process without justice. We visited the Ibara Custodial Centre in Abeokuta to hear from them. The true perpetrators confessed that they committed the crime and that Adeyemi and Lasisi were innocent. We reviewed their judgments from both the trial court and the Supreme Court and found that the state’s presentation never allowed the court to reconsider.”
Adeyemi and his friend had filed separate appeals to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.