Nigerian celebrities are reacting to the tearful testimony of a man identified as Martins, who was wrongfully imprisoned.
The man, during a program at Living Faith Church better known as Winners, recounted how he was wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit.
According to him, he was coming from a football match in 2009, when some police officers forcefully arrested him and he was made to face the law for a crime that belonged to someone else.
He was accused of robbery and killing and was locked up in a cell for 10 years till God came through for him in 2021.
Martins added that some people came from the Justice, Development, and Peace Commission (JDPC) and helped him reopen his case, which led to his release.
“My name is Martins, I want to thank God and I want Youths and those who love football to be attentive. I only went to watch the Barca match.
I only went to watch football, that’s all I know, and as I was coming back the police backed beside me and said I should enter. I tried proving stubborn and then put tear gas on me, that’s all that I know. When we got to the station, they just put me straight into the cell. No statement, nothing, like a joy. So the third day, this woman I will never forget ASP Diko, just came and said bring him out, his case is settled already, let’s take him.
Before I knew it, they took me straight to court, and they were calling another person’s name, which I wasn’t the one. They came to force me up and they said I collab with some people to kill and rob, which I didn’t know anything about. I thought it was a joke. 2019 they stopped taking me to court, and in 2020, some people came to preach and I keyed into a testimony.
So 2021, some people from the Justice Development and Peace Commission came. So a woman came to call me from the cell and they listened to my story. They had to trace my name back to UI, found my name, and found everything. So it was my name they took to the court to find out that I wasn’t the right person.
After 10 years I was released, though I lost my mother, lost my life, but I didn’t lose my wife”.
Taking to comment section, Shaffy Bello, Helen Paul, Warri Pikin, and Woli Arole shed tears on his behalf.
Woli Arole wrote, “Thank God for freedom
Shaffy Bello wrote, “Jesus!
Helen Paul wrote, “God have mercy
See some reactions from netizens below,
One David Chisom wrote, “May we not suffer for what we don’t know of
One Mr Tosh wrote, “Sadly this happened to my neighbor, the van stopped and asked him to enter, he refused and he was pushed in. What saved him was his neighbor in school hostel saw what happened and started alerting his siblings. Like play they took him to state CID and was bailed with 70k. Just like that. God for his a country like Nigeria.
One Chinny Elsie wrote, “Nigerian police need to pay this man
One Sar Tomi wrote, “Chai!!! May Nigerian not happen to us. You can just imagine. You can sue the Nigerian police and that ASP Diko they acting made you serve another person’s term
One Peaceful Baddie wrote, “Nigeria police can do better smh
One Jewel Baby wrote, “After our leaders fear the police. Fear them fear them
