Summary Table
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2013 | Arrested after Chelsea-Barca match |
| 2013-2019 | Repeated court appearances without resolution |
| 2020 | Finds solace in sharing the word of God |
| 2021 | Advocates intervene, identity confirmed |
| 2023 | Released after 10 years |
The passion for football is universal. It’s a sport that unites, excites, and sometimes, divides. But for one young Nigerian man, a simple act of watching a football match spiraled into a decade-long nightmare.
“I only went to watch the Chelsea-Barca match in 2013. That’s all I know.”
The evening was supposed to be about football, camaraderie, and the thrill of the game. But as he left the venue, a series of events unfolded that would change his life forever.
“Crowds were coming, why should it be me you’re about to pick?”
His arrest was swift, and the reasons unclear. ASP Dikko, the officer in charge, seemed to have mistaken him for someone else. No statements were taken, no explanations given. He was thrown into a cell, his pleas falling on deaf ears.
“They are calling another person’s name which I wasn’t the one.”
The years rolled on, and the young man found himself trapped in a system that seemed to have forgotten him. Court appearances led nowhere, and by 2019, they stopped altogether. Hope seemed distant, but faith was about to play a pivotal role in his life.
In 2020, he began sharing the word of God with fellow inmates, inspired by a testimony he had read. His dedication did not go unnoticed. When the prison’s pastor was released, he was chosen to fill the role, becoming a beacon of hope for many.
“Every blessed day, I shared the word of God.”
His story took another turn in 2021 when advocates, upon hearing his tale, decided to intervene. They discovered glaring inconsistencies in his case. Not only had he been wrongfully arrested, but he was also being held under a different name.
“I’m a graduate from the University of Ibadan. They traced my name back to UI, found my records. It was clear I was not the right person.”
The final push for his release came unexpectedly. Tragedy struck his cell when two inmates passed away. But amidst the sorrow, a glimmer of hope emerged.
“On Thursday, as I was serving food, they called me and said, ‘pack your things.’ After 10 years, I got my freedom.”
The scars of his ordeal are evident. He lost his mother and wife during his imprisonment. Yet, his spirit remains unbroken, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.
“I lost my mother, lost my wife, but I did not lose my life.”
Read the full testimony below:
“I want to thank God, and I want the youth and those who love football to listen attentively. I only went to watch the Chelsea-Barca match in 2013. That’s all I did. As I was coming back, I thought to myself, ‘We should enter.’ I know I’m stubborn. I tried to reason with the officers, asking, ‘What did I do? I only went to watch football.’ But crowds were coming. Why should it be me you’re about to pick? Before I knew it, they brought charges against me. For what? I was taken to the station and put straight into a cell. No statement, nothing. It felt like a joke. On the third day, I’ll never forget, a woman called ASP Dikko came and said, ‘Okay, bring him out. His case is settled already. Let’s take him.’ Where was I going? No one contacted me. None of my family knew where I was, and they were calling another person’s name, which wasn’t mine. They forced me up, and it seemed like they said I collaborated with some people to kill and rob, which I knew nothing about. It felt like a joke. 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019… and by 2019, they stopped taking me to court. It was only in 2020 that some people came to the prison to share the word of God. One day, I was at the gate, and I read a testimony. This brother spoke about preaching the gospel, winning souls, and how God turned everything around for him. That very night, I connected with that testimony. They allowed us to pray, and I used that time to start sharing the word of God with people. I did this every day. Then, the cell’s pastor was released, and they picked me to become the new pastor. In 2021, some people, whom I didn’t know, came to the prison. A woman decided to listen to my case, and they said they would fight for my release. Since 2019, I hadn’t been going to court. I didn’t even know what I had done. This wasn’t even my name. I’m a graduate from the University of Ibadan. Eventually, they traced my name back to the university, found my records, and realized I wasn’t the right person. I didn’t know what happened, but last week, of the five of us in the cell who were supposed to be released, two people died before daybreak. Then, on Thursday, as I was serving food, they called me and said, ‘Pack your things.’ After 10 years, I got my freedom. I lost my mother and my wife, but I did not lose my life.”
For more stories on justice, redemption, and the human spirit, visit our Human Interest section.
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Source: MandyNews.com
