Friday Ejeh Spent 8 Years In Jail For A Crime His Brother Committed.

Friday Ejeh was one of the inmates freed during Tuesday’s prison decongestion exercise by the Ondo State judiciary. He was imprisoned for over eight years for a murder committed by his brother,

The expression on the face of Friday Ejeh was pale and although not sickly, he cut the picture of a famished person who had gone through many years of starvation.

Ejeh spent eight years, nine months and four days at the Olokuta Medium Prison, Akure, for a crime committed by his brother who is still at large....

He was awaiting trial for charges of murder before he was freed during the prison decongestion exercise conducted by the Ondo State Judiciary on Tuesday.

Ejeh, who hails from Kogi State, trained as a repairer of electronic equipment and was plying his trade in Ondo town when one morning in May 2005, some policemen stormed his home and arrested him for the murder of a young man at a party the previous night.

Although the policemen had come to arrest his brother, they decided to arrest him when they could not get their target.

According to Ejeh, his brother had attended a party where he engaged in a brawl with a group of people and it resulted in the death of one of them. “My brother committed murder and ran away. He fought with some people at a party and one of them died, but he ran away. When the police came and could not get him, they arrested me,” he explained with tears in his eyes when he was asked to state what brought him to prison.

He spoke softly and could only muster few words as he responded to questions which our correspondent asked him.

Throughout the eight years and nine months he spent in detention, Ejeh was never taken to court for trial.

Although his case was supposed to be heard at the Magistrate Court 3, there were no records of his offence and the charges against him.

While the police claimed that the case file was forwarded to the Department of Public Prosecution for legal advice, the DPP stated that the case was not in its records.

The plight of many in detention is worsened by the fact that there are no records to prosecute them with and they remain in prison indefinitely, until a twist of fate, similar to that of Ejeh, comes their way.

On hearing his story, the Chief Judge of Ondo State, Justice Olaseinde Kumuyi, immediately directed that Ejeh be released unconditionally. “You have to go back to your state and meet your family. You have no business being here,” the judge said.

Ejeh said he bore no grudges against anyone because prison experience offered him a better understanding of life. “I went through many experiences in prison. I have learnt to be patient. So, it is not in vain that I was in prison for over eight years. It has given me hope for a better life,” he said.

On his fleeing brother, Ejeh said he had forgiven him and would not begrudge him anymore because he had already suffered for him.

“I have forgiven him because he is my brother,” he quietly said.

For Ejeh, his release from prison should put an end to the matter. He was of the opinion that the law should not further seek to bring his brother to justice because he had paid the price. He stated that he would not be willing to turn his brother over to the police should he find him on his return home.

“I will not turn him over to the police. He is my brother and as God has pardoned me, I have also pardoned him,” he said, noting that he had learnt how to endure difficulties and hoped that he would be able to handle life’s challenges in the future.

Narrating the condition in the prison, he stated that the prison officials did their best to provide for the inmates. “They tried. They gave us food and other things within their reach. For me, they have done their best,” he said.

Since he had a trade before going to prison, he said he would return to work as soon as he perfects his release. “I hope to return to practice as a repairer of electronics. That is my job. I know I can return to it and will make a little living through it by the help of God,” he stated.

Although he has been released, he is to be handed over to the St. Joseph Halfway House, an NGO involved in rehabilitating ex-convicts, before finally going home.