Man regains freedom two years after being in prison custody

A young man said to be in his late thirties identified as Mr. Chidiebere Onwumere, an indigene of Osisioma LGA has reportedly regained his freedom after two years of being behind bars at the Afara Prison facility in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.

Our correspondent gathered that Onwumere who regained freedom on Tuesday was accused of killing his neighbor, late Uzochi Chinyere who lives in same compound with the accused.

Narrating his ordeal after his release from Nigerian prisons in Afara, Umuahia on Tuesday, Mr. Onwumere thanked God for vindicating him two years after suffering for a crime he said that he knew nothing about, stressing that it was in his effort to save a neighbour that caused him to suffer injustice.

“I came back to where I was residing at Umujiji, Isiahia Osisioma around 6pm after 2 weeks in my village where I went to harvest and process palm fruits only to see my neighbour lying helpless and very weak and I decided to assist her to the hospital with the help of other neighbours since none of her blood relations was around.

“A pastor who resides within the neigbourhood took us with his car, to a nearby hospital; Shiloh hospital where the doctor after examining her, asked us to deposit five thousand naira to enable him carry out some tests in order to ascertain what exactly was wrong with her.

“I and some other neighbours contributed the money and made the deposit, when the result came out the doctor said that he suspected that she was knocked out after taking overdose of substance, but assured us that he will treat her and that she will be well again.

“The next morning Mr. Promise, the elder brother to the deceased arrived the hospital and insisted on taking her away to another hospital against the doctor’s advice.

“After several efforts to stop him failed, he took her to an unknown destination.

“After a few days, Promise came back to our compound and took me to World Bank Police Station, Aba where he handed me over to the police on the allegation that I beat her sister to death.

“Despite pleas by neigbours and other relations of the deceased that my hands are clean and that there was a doctor’s report stating that their sister died of substance abuse, Promise insisted and filed a murder charge against me.

“I was arraigned on suit no. U/520c/2016 and remanded in prison custody since June 2016 till date if not for Barrister Jerry Uzosike who God used to vindicate and bring me out of prison today,” Onwumere narrated.

Barrister Jerry Uzosike, lawyer to Onwumere, said when he heard about Chidiebere’s plight, he was touched and decided to wade into the matter without charging him any legal fee and expressed his happiness that his efforts to ensure that Chidiebere was released paid off at last.