The Guild of Online Media Editors and Publishers of Nigeria (GOMEP-NG) has urgently called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), human rights lawyers and civil society groups to intervene in the case of 89-year-old man, Pa Everestus Okereke, and his eldest son, Ugochukwu, who are reportedly facing execution in Imo State after spending about a decade in custody over a 2016 homicide case.
Pa Everestus Okereke and his son were sentenced to death by hanging in September 2022 over a 2016 incident in Imo State that led to the death of another man, according to media reports cited by GOMEP-NG.
Okereke, who was about 79 when he entered custody, has now spent roughly 10 years behind bars.
Reports indicate a third relative — another son allegedly involved in the confrontation — fled after the incident and remains missing.
In a statement signed by its President, Comr. Akpovoke Otiti, GOMEP-NG said it is not seeking to undermine the court’s judgment or deny justice to the deceased’s family, but is calling for scrutiny, transparency and due process before any irreversible action is taken.
The Guild specifically urged the NBA to facilitate, where possible, an independent legal review of the charges against the two men;
the evidence presented at trial;
the judgment; and the status of any appeal or remaining legal remedies. It also appealed to human rights organisations and civil society advocates to take interest in the matter, particularly given Okereke’s advanced age and the length of time he has been in custody.
GOMEP-NG asked the Imo State Government and relevant justice authorities to urgently clarify the current legal status of the case and ensure that every lawful avenue available to the convicted persons is identified and exhausted.
“We are not asking for preferential treatment. We are asking for scrutiny, transparency, due process and access to justice,” the Guild said.
It further called for responsible media coverage, saying the public deserves accurate information on the circumstances surrounding the convictions and the present status of the case.
The combination of Okereke’s age, the decade-long detention, and the fact that another alleged participant reportedly remains at large has raised humanitarian and legal questions that rights groups and the bar are now being urged to examine.
Under Nigeria’s Nigerian Correctional Service Act 2019, death sentences that have not been carried out after 10 years may be converted to life imprisonment where all legal remedies have been exhausted — a provision that may be relevant depending on the status of appeals in this case.