The Guild of Online Media Editors and Publishers of Nigeria (GOMEP-NG) has urged lawyers, rights groups and the authorities in southeastern Nigeria to review the case of an 89-year-old man reportedly facing execution after nearly a decade in custody.
The group said Pa Everestus Okereke and his eldest son, Ugochukwu, were sentenced to death by hanging in September 2022 over a 2016 incident in Imo State that reportedly resulted in the death of another man.
GOMEP-NG, in a statement signed by its president, Akpovoke Otiti, said it was not seeking to challenge the court’s judgment or deny the deceased’s family justice.
But it called for an urgent legal and humanitarian review to determine whether all available legal remedies had been exhausted.
” We are not asking for preferential treatment. We are asking for scrutiny, transparency, due process and access to justice,” the group said.
Reports cited by the organisation said Okereke was about 79 when he entered custody and has since spent roughly 10 years behind bars. Another son, who was allegedly involved in the confrontation that led to the death, reportedly fled and remains missing.
GOMEP-NG called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), human rights lawyers and civil society organisations to independently examine the case, including the charges, evidence presented at trial, judgment and the status of any appeal.
It also appealed to the Imo State government and relevant justice authorities to clarify the current legal status of the case and ensure that any remaining lawful avenues of appeal or review are identified before any irreversible action is taken.
The group stressed that the family of the deceased was entitled to justice, while the constitutional and legal rights of those sentenced to death must also be protected.
It urged media organisations to report the case responsibly and called for accurate information on the circumstances surrounding the convictions and the current status of the proceedings.
