A 64-year-old Nigerian man, Kolawole Oladeji, has been incarcerated since 1999 after being sentenced to death for allegedly possessing a stolen generator in Ogun State. Initially detained in Ogun, he was later transferred to Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison in Lagos.
In an audio message obtained by SaharaReporters, Kolawole explained that he was arrested on 30th October 1999, after someone brought a stolen generator to his workshop for repair. Alongside three others—Sunday Oloyede, Ogbona Igbojionu, and Segun Ajibade—he was sentenced to death by hanging in 2003. His death sentence was pronounced on 14th January 2003.
Kolawole claimed that Segun Ajibade, whom he describes as the actual culprit, was released in 2016 by former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun, but Kolawole and two others remain on death row.
“I’ve been in jail since 1999 for a crime I didn’t commit. I repair generators. Someone brought one to me for repair, and after fixing it, another person picked it up. I wasn’t involved in any theft,” Kolawole said. “The real culprit was released because he had connections. Since then, no one has come for me. My mother and wife have both died while I’ve been here.”
Kolawole’s case underscores the challenges faced by prisoners who remain incarcerated for years without a fair review of their cases. Despite the release of the alleged culprit, Kolawole continues to seek justice after more than two decades behind bars.
