Widow: Son Jailed at 17, Still on Death Row 28 Years After

Imo widow says her son David, arrested at 17 for alleged robbery, has spent 28 years on death row and is now 45.

Widow Celestina Amadi from Imo appeals for son David on death row 28 years after robbery accusation

A widow from Imo State is pleading for help after her only son spent 28 years on death row for a robbery she swears he never committed.

Mrs Celestina Amadi, from Abazu Akabo in Ikeduru Local Government Area, told Punch that her son, David, was arrested as a teenager and sentenced to death nearly three decades ago. She insists the charge was false from the start.

"My son was falsely accused of robbery at 17, still on death row at 45," the widow lamented in the interview, capturing the pain of a mother who has watched her child grow old behind bars.

According to her account, David was picked up, tried, and condemned when he should have been in school. Today he is 45 years old, and he has spent his entire adult life waiting for execution.

Mrs Amadi said the family has knocked on every door they could find lawyers, churches, human rights groups, and government offices but nothing has worked. The efforts to secure his release have so far been unsuccessful.

She spoke to Punch Chukwudi Akasike, narrating how the case has drained the family emotionally and financially. As a widow, she said she has carried the burden alone, moving from one prison visit to another for 28 years.

The case raises fresh questions about Nigeria's slow justice system. Death row inmates often wait decades for appeal hearings, with many insisting on their innocence. For families like the Amadis, the wait feels like a slow death of its own.

Mrs Amadi is not asking for money. She wants a fresh look at her son's file, a proper review, and if possible, mercy. "I am getting old. I just want to see my son walk free before I die," she said.

David Amadi remains in custody while his mother continues her lonely fight for justice from her small community in Ikeduru.