… Evangelist alerts Gov, Attorney-General, appeals for review after duo’s 10 years in prison
By Ime Silas
Tension and outrage have trailed the case of an 89-year-old man, Pa Everestus Okereke, and his eldest son, Ugochukwu, who are reportedly facing execution in Imo State after spending 10 years behind bars for a crime allegedly committed by another member of the family.
The heartbreaking story was brought to public attention by prison reform advocate, Evangelist Christian Chukwuka, in a video that went viral on social media between September 26 and 27, 2026, sparking widespread condemnation.
According to Chukwuka, the tragedy began in 2016 when Pa Okereke’s younger son was allegedly involved in a fight with another individual which resulted in the death of the victim. Following the incident, the younger son reportedly fled the community to evade arrest.
Instead of intensifying the search for the fleeing suspect, security operatives allegedly arrested Pa Okereke and his first son, Ugochukwu, as substitutes while efforts were being made to locate the prime suspect.
Chukwuka alleged that despite not being directly involved in the fatal altercation, the elderly man and his eldest son have remained in custody for over a decade and were subsequently sentenced to death by hanging in September 2022.
“An aged man and his first son have been in Imo State prison for over 10 years. The case started when another son of the aged man was allegedly involved in a fight that resulted in a person’s death. The suspect reportedly fled after the incident. Police allegedly arrested his father and first son while searching for him,” Chukwuka said in the viral video.
The development has triggered angry reactions from Nigerians, with many questioning the legality and morality of detaining family members in place of a wanted suspect, a practice known as arrest by proxy, which is prohibited under Nigerian law.
Human rights activists have described the case as a clear violation of the fundamental human rights of the detainees and a failure of the criminal justice system in the state. They argue that no one should be punished for an offence they did not commit, regardless of their relationship with the suspect.
Chukwuka has therefore appealed to the Imo State Government, the Chief Judge of Imo State, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, the National Human Rights Commission and other relevant authorities to urgently intervene and review the case.
He called for a thorough and impartial review of the court records, the circumstances surrounding their arrest and the trial that led to their conviction, and urged the appropriate authorities to take lawful steps to ensure justice is served.
As of the time of filing this report, the Imo State Government, the police and the judiciary are yet to issue an official statement on the matter. The identities of the court that passed the death sentence, the charge number and the details of the trial proceedings are also yet to be independently verified.
However, the viral video has continued to generate calls for prison decongestion, judicial reforms and an end to the practice of arresting innocent relatives in place of suspects.
Nigerians while reacting said the case of Pa Okereke and his son once again brings to the fore the urgent need for a more humane, accountable and efficient justice system in Nigeria that protects the rights of the vulnerable and ensures that no innocent citizen suffers for the sins of another.
