My 45-year-old son wrongly accused of robbery as a teenager remains on death row, says grieving mother

Celestina Amadi, a 75-year-old widow from Abazu Akabo in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, shares the story of her son, David, who was wrongly accused of robbery and sentenced to death 28 years ago.

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David Amadi has been in prison for 28 years, imprisoned at the age of 17, and is now 45 years old, with his family making unsuccessful efforts to secure his release.

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Celestina Amadi's son was taken by police officers who came to their compound in 1998, searching for him after a complainant, Vita, accused him of stealing his money.

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Vita is the man who accused David Amadi of stealing his money, and he was the one who led the police to search for David, who was then 17 years old.

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When the police arrived in Uzoagba, where David had gone to attend a dance event, they searched for him, and with the help of some boys, they eventually found him at a place where a family was burying a loved one.

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The policemen confronted David, kicked him, and forced him into a waiting vehicle, taking him to Owerri, and by the time Celestina Amadi returned from the farm, her son had already been taken away.

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Celestina Amadi visited her son at the State Criminal Investigation Department, where he was being held, and she also gave food to his brother to take to him, and later, the police came to their residence and searched the entire house.

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The police arrested one Ikechi from their community, and they searched his house but found nothing incriminating, and afterwards, they took him back to the State CID.

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A member of the community reported that he had been robbed, accusing David and some others of robbing him of money, and when Ikechi's mother and Celestina Amadi went to see the complainant, he refused to listen to them.

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Celestina Amadi's husband died due to the stress and pain caused by their son's imprisonment, which he believed was a wrongful accusation, and his death occurred after he became ill and was constantly calling for his son, David.

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David Amadi was taken to court from the State CID, and the family did not have a lawyer while he was in police custody, only engaging one after he was charged and taken to court.

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The judge who sentenced David Amadi came from Orlu, and there was no evidence tendered in court to prove that he robbed the complainant, with the complainant saying that the robbers wore masks.

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David Amadi, along with two others, was sentenced to death by Judge Ukachukwu, and the family appealed the High Court judgment in Owerri, but the Court of Appeal upheld the judgment.

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A third person, Matthew, was arrested in Port Harcourt, allegedly tortured by the police, who inserted a stick into his genitals, causing him to confess to crimes he did not commit.

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Matthew's statement, made under duress, was used to implicate David Amadi and the other person, Ikechi, and despite repeated pleas, the complainant, Vita, continued with the case against David.

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After the alleged torture, Matthew began to behave like someone with a mental health condition, shouting and banging on chairs in the courtroom, insisting that he knew nothing about the robbery.

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Celestina Amadi did not speak to any lawyer, human rights activist, or non-governmental organisation about the matter, and after the High Court sentenced David to death, they appealed to the Court of Appeal and later to the Supreme Court, but the judgments remained the same.

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David Amadi and the two others are currently in different prisons, with two of them in Port Harcourt prison and the third person in Lagos prison.

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Celestina Amadi is appealing to the Imo State Government to secure the release of her son and the two others, as she believes they are innocent and were wrongly accused.

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Celestina Amadi is certain that her son is not guilty of the offence for which he was convicted, stating that his father and she were sleeping in their house on the day the robbery occurred.

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There is still a rift between Celestina Amadi and the complainant, Vita, with the matter unable to be resolved after 28 years, and it can only be resolved when her son and the two others are released from prison.

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Celestina Amadi is not considering reconciling with Vita, as she believes that reconciling with someone who sent her son to prison, despite his innocence, would be like rubbing salt into an injury.

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The family is not planning to engage another group or lawyer to help with David's case, as they have already spoken with the Ratel family and their lawyer.

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Celestina Amadi has nine children, including David, who is still in prison, and if he is released, the family plans to help him rebuild his life, including getting married and starting a family.

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David's eldest brother, Innocent Amadi, is capable of helping him, and he can even sell his vehicle to support his younger brother's marriage if needed.

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The families of the other two people convicted alongside David Amadi are also seeking their release, with Mama Ikechi searching for help to secure her son's release from prison.