Family Cries Out Over Father’s Imprisonment For Crime He Didn’t Commit

An Imo State indigene, Jennifer Meribe, has cried out, calling on the general public and crime reporters to assist her family save her father, Anthony Meribe, who has been in prison over an alleged crime he didn’t commit.

Daily Post recalls that a man, believed to be Jennifer’s brother, had in August 2015, written an open letter which he addressed to the Governor of Imo State, Human rights organizations and Amnesty International, on behalf of the family, crying out for help. He pleaded that attention be drawn to the plight of his father and help him regain his freedom.

According to the open letter, the father had been in detention for several years, without bail, on a crime he was wrongly accused of committing with no evidence or a single witness.

Speaking with Daily Post exclusively over the phone Tuesday, sounding disturbed and literally crying, Jennifer said:

“My father has been in prison in Wetheral Road, Owerri, since 2009 till date without bail.

”My Father, Anthony Meribe, from Umuoma Onicha Ezinihitte Mbaise, received a call from Pantellion Chibuike Obiukwu (same compound) on the fateful day, 15th of February, 2009, that his elder brother, Godwin Obiukwu, had broken into our house and stole most of our belongings, which is not unusual as he had been known for doing that and more in the community.

“My father left Aba on that day to the village to check, only to find our house door broken down and most items including building materials, gone.

“My father confronted Godwin Obiukwu, who admitted to have taken the items and carried a machete and chased my father. Godwin and his brothers had been very well known in the community as armed robbers, kidnappers and cultists. People have reported this family to the Eze and locked them up many times in Owerri, yet they got bailed and continued to terrorize the community.

“My father and Godwin had a fight and he mentioned where he kept some if the items and the people he sold them to and then returned to Aba. One week after this incident, my father received a call from Hycinth Ihekoronye (Godwin’s in-law) to come to village, claiming that Godwin is not well. My father went to the village the next day and reported himself to ITU Police Station as advised by the elders just to be on the safe side but he was detained and was taken to the State CID, Owerri and detained again for 5 months without the case going to court, bailed or any investigation carried out.”

“Power of money!” she screamed. “Godwin eventually died and my father was blamed for his death.”

“His case file had been stolen more than I can remember; my father was charged for murder even when Godwin was still alive without the police investigating into the matter all because of bribe.

When asked if she had any idea who was to blame for her father’s long stay in prison, Jennifer said:

“All these people have been taking bribe from both families from day one nonstop and because we refused to pay any bribe, my father’s file had been recently missing again,” she quipped.

According to Jennifer, people like the former state prosecutor, Mr K. Anyanwu, former Judge of Aboh Mbaise High Court, Mrs Ogwuruike, Imo state council messenger, Aboh Mabise till date and Chukwuma Mbonu Ahamba were people who compounded her father’s predicament.

“We have recently lost our mother all because of this same case,” the hurting lady stated.

In her conclusion, she pleaded saying: “My family and I want justice and need Governor Rochas Okorocha, Chief Judge of Imo state, Pascal Nnadi, the Human Rights Commission of Nigeria, Mr. Chidi Odim Kalu and Mr Ben Angwe to please look into this case as soon as possible.