Man detained 11-years in prison without trial cries out: I saw hell, lost everything

When Chibueze Chukwu relocated from Ebonyi State to Lagos at the age of 24, his dream was to set up a foodstuff business, find a good woman to marry and start a family. He did all manners of odd jobs until he was able to raise money to buy an okada.

From the proceeds of his okada business, Chibueze rented a shop in the Ikorodu area of Lagos and gradually stocked it with foodstuffs. Everything appeared to be moving well for the young man until one fateful afternoon when the Police stormed his shop and arrested him for a crime – armed robbery – allegedly committed by his friend.

Like a bad dream that refuses to go away, Chibueze’s torture at the Police station and detention in prison for a crime he knew nothing about, went from days to months and to years until he was finally released last month after spending almost 11 years in prison. In this edition, Chibueze narrates to Encounter his struggles as a young boy whose father died before he was born, his shocking arrest, torture by the Police, detention in prison and how God finally rescued him.

Childhood, relocation to Lagos

My name is Chibueze Chukwu, I am from Ebonyi State. My father died three months before I was born. My mother struggled alone to cater for me and my siblings. After my primary education, I could not afford to go to secondary school because there was no money. After doing several odd jobs in my state, I decided to relocate to Lagos and live with my elder brother who owned a small restaurant. I was helping him with the business until I decided to find something else to do. I started riding okada and was able to raise money to rent a shop where I started selling foodstuffs. I continued riding the okada while also running the shop.

“The shop where I use for the business was initially owned by a friend called Obinna. He sublet the shop to me when things became difficult for him. We had a misunderstanding over the shop which led to a serious fight. We later resolved the matter. In the morning of August 12, 2011, I met him in my shop, after a while, he said that he was going for a business which he didn’t disclose to me. I later discovered that he and one other person went to rob somebody on the street where we live.

“I never knew that he was a criminal. As a brother from the same state, Ebonyi, he usually drops his bag and other belongings in my shop anytime  he is going out. It never occurred to me at any time to find out what was in his bag. After they committed the robbery, he didn’t return to my shop. Unfortunately for him, the man they robbed recognised him and his gang member who also resides opposite my shop. The brother of Obinna’s gang member works in the same company with the victim so the victim took the Police to the company. The victim’s co-worker took the Police to his house where Obinna’s gang member was identified through a picture.  People in the street now told the Police that he usually hangs out with my friend, Obinna and that they were always in my shop. That was how the Police came to my shop to look for them.

Police arrest

“When the Police came to my shop with the victim, they asked for the whereabouts of my friend Obinna and I told them I don’t know. I told them he only comes around once in a while but they insisted on searching my shop which I obliged them because I knew I didn’t have anything to hide. The Police searched my shop and left when they couldn’t find anything. They returned a few hours later and said they wanted to search my shop a second time. I also allowed them. After turning my shop upside down, they saw my friend’s bag with an AK-47 magazine and one local gun inside it.

Torture begins

“I was taken to the Sagamu Road Police station in Ikorodu where they began to torture me. The kind of torture they inflicted on me was cruel. My hands and legs were handcuffed with a long rod in between to raise me up like an animal prepared for barbecue roasting. They hanged me in that position and were beating me with sticks and batons. They threatened to kill me if I didn’t tell them the whereabouts of my friend. One of them actually shot at my leg but luckily for me, the magazine dropped before he moved the trigger. He wanted to fire a second time before his colleagues prevailed on him. I kept telling them that I don’t know anything about this matter and that only God can bear me witness. They kept hitting all parts of my body with their gun boots.

A female Police officer in the station who knew me and usually buys foodstuffs from my shop tried to prevail on the Investigating Police Officer, Mr. Bakai to stop beating me and that I was not an armed robber, but Bakai and his team refused and even increased the beating. The torture lasted for hours.  Till now, my bones still make cracking sounds any time I move them. I developed a lot of health challenges as a result of that torture. First was hernia. When I was eventually remanded, the prison church fellowship had to raise money for me to do my first hernia operation which was successful. After a while, the hernia growth resurfaced and is already increasing in size.

Torture continues at SARS

After a few days at the Police station, my case was transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Panti, Yaba, Lagos.  I spent almost two months in SARS where they continued to torture me. They also hanged me the same way the Police officers in Okorodu did. The torture however, reduced with time because I believe after interrogating me and conducting their own investigation, they discovered that I was innocent. One of the SARS officers even tried to prevail on the complainant to drop the case since the actual people that robbed him could not be found, but the complainant insisted that they must make me produce them. At that point, the leader of the SARS team in charge of my case decided that they should take the matter to court.

Remand order

I was taken to an Ikeja Magistrate Court where the Magistrate granted SARS’ request to remand me in prison custody. After the order was granted, I was dumped in Kirikiri Prison. I thought that after a while, I would have to appear in court to defend myself but that never happened for almost 10 years.

Life in prison

Immediately I got into prison, I joined the Christian Prison Fellowship and was working in the ushering section. I knew that only God could deliver me from the trouble I found myself in so I decided to serve him in any way I could. Life in prison was hell because inmates are not considered as human beings to be treated well. The food was terrible but I still had to eat it to survive. Imagine being served only three teaspoons of beans as breakfast, then one cup of garri in the afternoon and another cup of garri again in the evening. The maltreatment by the Prison warders is another terrible thing entirely.

Appeal for trial ignored

Several times I tried to find out from the Prison authority why my case was not coming up in court but nobody could give me any satisfactory answer. I wrote letters to the Deputy Comptroller of Prisons but never got any response. The only advice that a warder gave me was to get my family members to pursue my case in court. My family contacted two lawyers at different times to assist with my case, but both of them collected money and never did the job.

Lawyers Without Borders intervene

I kept praying and believing in God for a miracle until a representative of Avocats  Sans Frontieres, ASF, Nigeria,(Lawyers Without Borders), Chigozie Ikedimma took interest in my case. I had spent almost 10 years before his intervention. I believe God sent the organisation and lawyer to me because I had never met them before. In 2021, I was really angry in my spirit and kept questioning God why there is no solution to my problem. I queried God why I should continue suffering in prison when I have been faithful to him. During that period, I slept one day and God spoke to me in my dream and said he had a purpose for allowing me to be in prison. When I asked to know the purpose, God said to me that my enemies wanted me dead and that he wanted them to pass away before releasing me. After that dream, I began to thank God and had an unusual peace of mind. After a while, I embarked on a three-day fast and on the third day, I met the Prisons Welfare Officer who introduced me to Chigozie who took over my case, filed processes in court and ensured that I was released.

I lost everything

While in prison, I lost everything. The goods I had in my shop were all stolen. The last time I asked, I was told that someone had taken over my shop and is selling something else there. I was told the Police took over the shop but nobody can tell what happened to the goods inside the shop. Since I came out from prison, things have been difficult. I just recently managed to get a job as a guard somewhere in Ajah because I don’t want to be idle.

Appeal for support

Presently, I don’t have a house. I squat with a friend. The money I get from my security job is just to sustain me. I need accommodation and would appreciate if anyone can assist me with that. Secondly, I love selling foodstuffs which was what I was doing before I was dumped in prison. Any support in returning to that business will also be appreciated. I have so many health challenges as a result of the torture I was subjected to. I need serious medical attention especially with the hernia that is increasing in size every day. I look up to God for help and I believe he would minister to someone out there to assist me. Vanguard