An 89-year-old man, Pa Everestus Okereke, and his eldest son, Ugochukwu, are facing execution in Imo State after spending about 10 years behind bars for a crime allegedly committed by another relative. The pair were sentenced to death by hanging in September 2022, according to reports by Arise News and Galaxy TV.
Background of the 2016 Incident
The tragedy began in 2016 when a fight in Imo State resulted in the death of another man. According to Arise News, Okereke's younger son allegedly fled after the incident and has remained missing since then. Instead, Okereke and his eldest son were detained following the incident and have spent the past decade behind bars.
Okereke, who was about 79 when he was detained, has spent most of his 80s in prison. He is now 89. His eldest son, Ugochukwu, has also spent approximately 10 years in custody alongside his father.
Case Brought to Public Attention
The case was recently brought to public attention by prison evangelist Christian Chuka, who spoke about the elderly man and his son on Arise News. According to Chuka's account, Okereke's younger son fled after the fatal fight, leaving his father and older brother in detention. Galaxy TV reported that the younger son has remained missing since the incident.
The circumstances surrounding the case have raised questions about how the two men came to spend so many years in custody while the relative linked to the fatal incident remains missing.
Unanswered Questions and Legal Status
Important details remain unclear from the publicly available reports, including the specific charges against Okereke and Ugochukwu, the evidence presented in court, whether they appealed their convictions, and the current status of any legal proceedings. Galaxy TV, in its report on the case, also noted that the legal status of the pair needed to be established.
What is clear is the length of time Okereke has spent behind bars. He entered custody at about 79. Now 89, he has spent an entire decade of his later life in prison and is facing a death sentence. Alongside him is his eldest son, who has also spent about 10 years behind bars.
The case has now drawn renewed attention to the father and son, their prolonged detention, and the unanswered questions surrounding what happened after the 2016 fatal fight.
