after taking her to the hospital, has regained his freedom after two
years.
village in Osisioma area of Abia state, was jailed after being accused
of killing his neighbour, late Uzochi Chinyere, who lived in same
compound with him.
How did this injustice happen?
Narrating his
ordeal to Abia Facts Newspaper after his release from prisons in Afara,
Umuahia on Tuesday, Mr Chidiebere who was full of praises to God for
vindicating him after two years of suffering for a crime he knew nothing
about, said it was in his bid to save a neighbour that caused him to
suffer this injustice.
He said, “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 called Shiloh
hospital where the doctor after examining her asked us to deposit 5,000
naira to enable him conduct a text that will determine exactly what was
wrong with her, I and some other neighbours contributed the money and
made the deposit, when the result came out the doctor told us that
she was on substance overdose and was knocked out by the illegal
substance, he assured us that he will treat her and 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, but he insisted and 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 claiming that I beat his sister to
death“.
“Despite pleas by neigbours and other relations of
the deceased that my hands are clean and that there was a doctors report
stating that their sister died of substance abuse, Promise insisted
and filed a murder charge against me and 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“.
Barrister Uzosike after leading
Chidiebere out of prison asked him to go home to his family and
reintegrate himself back into the society, insisting that the system
must seek ways to not only address such injustice but design a befitting
compensation for victims of injustice.
