By Joshua Ahaneku
A man, Mr. Ebenezer Egwuekwe, who spent 16 years in the PortHarcourt Prison while undergoing trial for his role in the infamous Otokoto ritual killing saga has cried for help and justice from the government and other Nigerians to enable him to be intergrated back to the society.
Mr Egwuekwe, 62 years, who was the manager of the Otokoto Hotel was discharged and acquitted of murder charges by the Court of Appeal Owerri sixteen years after he was arrested and imprisoned.
Narrating his ordeal to Imo Trumpeta, Mr Egwuekwe stated that he was arrested by the police in 1996 after he was asked to report to the police station when one of the staff of the Otokoto Hotel where he was the manager was caught with fresh human head at Eziama Ikeduru. From there, he was slammed with murder charges with six other people.
He explained that he was moved from cell to cell and from prison to prison during the 16 years that his trial lasted, with one of his worst experiences being at the PortHarcourt Maximum prison where he was tortured and treated as a condemned criminal, even though he was innocent.
According to him, “If I had committed anything worthy of imprisonment I would have accepted my fate, but unfortunately I did nothing to warrant 16 years of suffering”.
He lamented that while he was in the prison, his friends deserted him while his wife and eight children passed through very difficult times.
“While in prison my house was in a dilapidated state. My family was suffering with me. The few landed properties I had were sold to pay my legal fees and feed me and the rest of my family. They suffered greatly because I was the only bread winner of the family”, he said.
Despite the travails he faced, Mr Egwuekwe thanked God that he was finally released and cleared of all the charges he faced. He however pleaded that something should be done to help him to settle and be integrated back into the society.
“I don’t know where to start from and with what to start with. My mates that I started the race with in those days have outrun me.
“I thus plead with the federal and state governments as well as other well meaning Nigerians to come to my aid and help me in anyway that can to start my life again”, he said.
Speaking to the Imo Trumpeta, his first son, Mr Ifeanyi Egwuekwe, explained that his mother and his siblings passed through very difficult times during the period their father was arrested and incarcerated.
According to him, they spent more than 2.5 million naira on legal fees alone, beside other expenses they incurred. He called on the government to urgently look into the imprisonment of innocent people and stop the trend so that more people will not suffer like his father did.
