Wrongly imprisoned Bricklayer finally released after 24 years in Jail recounts harrowing experience

After spending 24 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit, Lukman Adeyemi, a 50-year-old bricklayer, has opened up about his traumatic ordeal following his release.

At the age of 26, Lukman accompanied a friend to the police station upon the friend’s summons, which ultimately resulted in Lukman’s unjust detention. He was finally set free on June 14, 2024, after enduring nine years in pre-trial custody followed by a grueling 15 years on death row.

Recalling his arrest, Lukman described the intense physical and emotional abuse he faced during interrogations by SARS Police officers, leading to coerced confessions for crimes he had no knowledge of committing.

In his account to Vanguard, Lukman shared, “I felt abandoned by truth itself. I spent 24 years behind bars like 24 hours, a sleepless night that lasted for two decades.”

He expressed his gratitude towards the Center for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation, whose intervention shed light on his innocence and paved the way for his redemption.

Pastor Hezekiah Deboboye Olujobi, the Executive Director of CJMR, affirmed the innocence of Lukman and his friend Ismaila Lasisi, emphasizing the discrepancies in their convictions revealed through a thorough review of the legal judgments.

With the relentless efforts of CJMR and the revelation of exculpatory evidence, Lukman and Ismaila have been relocated to the CJMR Halfway Home for their rehabilitation and reintegration back into society.