From Influential Pastor To 27 Years In Prison On Death Row
Sometimes life can be frustrating and may make one to regret the essence of living. Such is the devastating story of Pastor Clinton Kanu who spent 27 years in prison waiting for his execution every month.
Before his arrest in 1992, Pastor Kanu was an ambitious, influential with government connection, has two residential houses, four cars and a well-paid job.
Pastor Kanu who is now 56 years old was arrested and wrongly sentenced to death at the age of 27 years for a murder he did not commit.
During the 27 years in prison, he was waiting for his execution every month, life outside the bars feels far from a pastor that was once influential.
Kanu lost his father, mother, uncle and brother in the 27 years in prison for a murder he did not commit but he still has a sister, Victoria Okoroji, where he normally goes to eat.
After his release last April, he manages to get an apartment on the third floor of a moderate building in Enugu, and always makes his sway across the road to his sister's house to eat. Kanu has tried to live a normal life, it has been difficult for him to cope without job and anything to call his own.
The Cause Of His Wrong Incarceration
He narrated that his woes started when he tried to settle a case involving theft and a dispute over family land. With tears, Kanu said a man that was connected to the dispute died and he was accused of killing the man.
He said he was arrested in 1992; an arrest he said was political because some set of peoole who were not happy with his success wanted to kill him.
Kanu was then imprisoned in Owerri, he said he waited for trial many years in the prison. In his sorrowful state, Kanu said he was finally sentenced in 2005. After 13 years waiting for trial, he was sentenced to death by handing or by firing squad.
Pastor Kanu said he is a "victim of wickednes, and judicial murder." With tears, he lamented his ambiquos sentence, "sentence to death by handing or by firing squad? What kind of judgment is that for a crime I did not commit. Just look at me, I've lost everything", he cried.
Afflictions In Prison
While in prison, he lost his houses, his well paid job, his parents and friends. Kanu is now free, he is longer on death row but he is not free from the 27 years of devastating life, at his age he has no wife, no child of his own and cannot feed himself.
While explaining his ordeal in the prison, Kanu narrated that he believes there is a reason God saved him from the death row, he recited a portion of his Bible on the promise of God, "And the Lord said, 'I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, I have heard their cry", he consoled himself.
Decision To Commit Suicide
The 56-year old Kanu recalled how he suffered complication in prison that led to health challenges and depression and he tried to commit suicide in 2008 by taking 10 tablets of diazepam he smuggled into his prison to control his insomnia. He survived the tough moment of his life, the tablet did not kill him.
He narrated that of all the deaths while in prison, his mother's death in 2014 was the most hit and he tried to take his life again but was stopped on several occasions. He said, he resolved to live because God has a reason for saving him.
Achievements In Prison
While in prison, he decided to adjust to the reality of life in prison and he enrolled in prison's college where he bagged bachelor's degree in Guidance and Counselling in 2009 and a master degree in Education Managemsnt. In 2014 he bagged doctorate degrees in Mission Ministry and Counselling.
The Battle To Get Freedom
He narrated how he sold his four cars, two houses, his beds, refrigratros and other properties to pursue a legal case for his release. According to him, in 2015 his case reached Supreme Court who reviewed his death sentence.
There was no convincing evidence against him, in April 2019, Pastor Kanu was freed, the Supreme Court ruled that there was no evidence against the innocent Pastor.
He was freed, Pastor Kanu won the the battle after 27 years of frustration, turture, psychological trauma and depression. He lost everything he had, thrown into the society with nothing and no compensation for his 27 years wrong incarceration.
Before his arrest in 1992, Pastor Kanu was an ambitious, influential with government connection, has two residential houses, four cars and a well-paid job.
Pastor Kanu who is now 56 years old was arrested and wrongly sentenced to death at the age of 27 years for a murder he did not commit.
During the 27 years in prison, he was waiting for his execution every month, life outside the bars feels far from a pastor that was once influential.
Kanu lost his father, mother, uncle and brother in the 27 years in prison for a murder he did not commit but he still has a sister, Victoria Okoroji, where he normally goes to eat.
After his release last April, he manages to get an apartment on the third floor of a moderate building in Enugu, and always makes his sway across the road to his sister's house to eat. Kanu has tried to live a normal life, it has been difficult for him to cope without job and anything to call his own.
The Cause Of His Wrong Incarceration
He narrated that his woes started when he tried to settle a case involving theft and a dispute over family land. With tears, Kanu said a man that was connected to the dispute died and he was accused of killing the man.
He said he was arrested in 1992; an arrest he said was political because some set of peoole who were not happy with his success wanted to kill him.
Kanu was then imprisoned in Owerri, he said he waited for trial many years in the prison. In his sorrowful state, Kanu said he was finally sentenced in 2005. After 13 years waiting for trial, he was sentenced to death by handing or by firing squad.
Pastor Kanu said he is a "victim of wickednes, and judicial murder." With tears, he lamented his ambiquos sentence, "sentence to death by handing or by firing squad? What kind of judgment is that for a crime I did not commit. Just look at me, I've lost everything", he cried.
Afflictions In Prison
While in prison, he lost his houses, his well paid job, his parents and friends. Kanu is now free, he is longer on death row but he is not free from the 27 years of devastating life, at his age he has no wife, no child of his own and cannot feed himself.
While explaining his ordeal in the prison, Kanu narrated that he believes there is a reason God saved him from the death row, he recited a portion of his Bible on the promise of God, "And the Lord said, 'I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, I have heard their cry", he consoled himself.
Decision To Commit Suicide
The 56-year old Kanu recalled how he suffered complication in prison that led to health challenges and depression and he tried to commit suicide in 2008 by taking 10 tablets of diazepam he smuggled into his prison to control his insomnia. He survived the tough moment of his life, the tablet did not kill him.
He narrated that of all the deaths while in prison, his mother's death in 2014 was the most hit and he tried to take his life again but was stopped on several occasions. He said, he resolved to live because God has a reason for saving him.
Achievements In Prison
While in prison, he decided to adjust to the reality of life in prison and he enrolled in prison's college where he bagged bachelor's degree in Guidance and Counselling in 2009 and a master degree in Education Managemsnt. In 2014 he bagged doctorate degrees in Mission Ministry and Counselling.
The Battle To Get Freedom
He narrated how he sold his four cars, two houses, his beds, refrigratros and other properties to pursue a legal case for his release. According to him, in 2015 his case reached Supreme Court who reviewed his death sentence.
There was no convincing evidence against him, in April 2019, Pastor Kanu was freed, the Supreme Court ruled that there was no evidence against the innocent Pastor.
He was freed, Pastor Kanu won the the battle after 27 years of frustration, turture, psychological trauma and depression. He lost everything he had, thrown into the society with nothing and no compensation for his 27 years wrong incarceration.
Isah Bala.
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