With my age, status, I shouldn’t be in prison

Law they say is no respecter of anyone. Perhaps, that’s why Oba Gabriel Adepoju Adeyemo, Oko-Ile of Ogbomoso, Oyo State has been remanded in Abeokuta Prison for some months now even though he claims innocence of the charges against him.

The septuagenarian monarch along with others were the cynosure of all eyes during the Prison Rehabilitiation Mission International (PRMI) empowerment programme at the Abeokuta Prison recently.

According to Oba Adeyemi, he knew nothing about the murder allegation and he would continue to pray to God to see him through his travail: “I was in my palace with one pastor praying for me when there was a violent clash in one of our garages and I was linked with it.

“I knew nothing about the clash during which people were injured and one of those who was injured at the scene of violence and was rushed to the Ogbomoso General Hospital eventually died. It was after he died that the police claimed I was at the scene of the violence whereas I was in the palace together with one pastor who was praying for me.

“God whom I serve, knows that I have no hands in the death of the man, but because the fight was more or less politically motivated, the other group pitched their tent against me and linked me with the clash. “That was why I am remanded here after the trial and conviction, but I know that by the special grace of God, my appeal will be granted because I never participated in the fight. It was even the pastor that was praying for me that asked me to stay back in the place while he went to look at the situation of things because a motor park was not far from my palace.

“It was when he (pastor) got there that he realized that the violence was beyond what I can control and that was why I asked two of my subjects to report the matter to the area commander because the town was about 25 kilometre away form Ogbomoso. “ So I had to allow them report the matter to the area command, but they came late and I had to arrange for those who suffered various degrees of injuries and I had to follow them to the area commander’s office. On getting there, I handed over all of them to the area commander. They conducted investigations, but it was late before we left the Area Commander’s office.

“ It was God that was on my side because their aim was to attack and injure me in the palace. Police later said I must know something about the murder since I was the king in the town. But I have nine witnesses who corroborated my innocence, yet they said I knew something about the death of the man even though I knew nothing. I must not be allowed to die for a sin I did not commit.

“We are in a political era where political opponents use their connection with those in power to avenge long time rivalries. I did not kill anyone, neither did I ask anyone or group to go and kill anybody. God is my witness, I am not a killer. As a Yoruba Oba, I respect the customs and tradition of our people’’. I have proved my innocence, but it appears some people somewhere want me dead by all means. I have appealed against my sentence, I know that God will see me through this travails because I am innoncent of the charge against me.”

During the ceremony, the Osile Oke Ona Egba, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso who is the Chairman, Board of Governing Council of the (PRMI) prayed for the monarch saying that his innocence would be proved by God if truely he had no hands in the murder case. “We are all prisoners, the only difference is that some of us enjoy our freedom outside the prison yards, while some of us live within the prison yard. For those of you who live within the prison yard, may you all gain freedom from the earthy and heavenly imprisonment’’

Tejuoso also visited the condemned cell of the prison and prayed with the inmates pouring anointing oil on them with the message that God had sent him to salvage them: “God has sent me to anoint seven of you. The Holy Spirit sent us and knew why we sent us. Seven years and nine months after my first visit, some of you were released and that is why I cnanot do against the will of God. Wether you are anointed or not, once you are able to give your life to Jesus, you will be saved’’

The director general of PRMI, Pastor Kayode Williams urged the inmates to remain focused so that they can be productive for themselves as well as the country after serving their term and also stressed the importance of prison reform: His words: ‘’We are appealing to the Federal Government to look into the welfare of prison inmates. In the awaiting trial area, about 75 percent of the total number of prisoners are awaiting trial and that is very bad.

There is need for them to find a way of getting people out instead of people getting rusted inside the prison for years. They must be given speedy trial so as to avoid congestion of the prison.
“The prisoners themselves need empowerment. You cannot open a prison and ask an ex-convict to go out to an empty stomach, to an empty world. There must be something on ground. There must be a structure to follow. For those that were sent back from Thailand, some of them have been released, while some of them are still left behind in the cell.

I think this disparity should be looked into. When you are talking of crime, if there is no proper rehabilitation, crime will continue to rise. So there should be rehabilitation by government.
During the ceremony, two of the ex-convicts, Sunday Oladapo and Evang. Mohammed Mustapha prayed for the inmates to get freedom as quickly as possible.

Posted: at 14-01-2011 01:35 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Shebi you like long thing, why you come dey complain about long tory now? Fear fear girl

Posted: at 15-01-2011 08:18 PM (13 years ago) | Upcoming

STIL READING COMMENT LATER

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Posted: at 16-01-2011 03:16 PM (13 years ago) | Addicted Hero

Too long for me to read, make una read and inform me on what to comment.

Posted: at 18-01-2011 05:00 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac

hmmmm...........is age and status is enough reason not to land in jail, then that should also stop whoever from committing crime.........I pray that God vindicates you sha if you are truely innocent.........

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Posted: at 18-01-2011 05:14 PM (13 years ago) | Hero

abeg law no sabi age oohh

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Posted: at 19-01-2011 06:32 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac