When I called my mother from prison to tell her I’d been pardoned after 10 years in jail, she fainted.

I was told they had to pour water on her to revive her. Later, when she saw me for the first time after all those years in jail, she grabbed me and held me so tight. She wouldn’t let go for almost 15 minutes. The whole time she had tears of joy streaming from her eyes.

Football and juice: celebrating with my death row friends


I was also overwhelmed with joy when I found out about my pardon, at 4pm on 28 May. Initially I couldn’t even speak, I was so happy.

The day after hearing the news, I celebrated in prison by organising a football match between death row inmates and other prison inmates. I’d been the death row team football coach during my time in prison. We won the match 3-0! Everyone was so happy to play.

That Sunday I went to the prison church. I bought some biscuits and fruit juice to share with other inmates in church and an announcement was made that I was being released. Everyone was happy. I had friends in prison; I had been teaching English and Maths to fellow inmates and those students who were keen became my friends.

I was released a few days later. That first evening at home, my mother prepared a special dish – Okro soup with beef. The whole family ate together at the dining table. Afterwards, there was a party with family friends and we sang songs, played music and prayed.

We prayed for all the activists who campaigned for my release, those from Amnesty international and Justine Ijeomah [the Director of HURSDEF, Nigeria’s Human Rights Social Development and Environmental Foundation] and his wife, Goodness Justine. Drinks were shared around with everyone at the party.

The sleep of the free

The first night I slept in my new bed, I slept so well. What struck me most was that at 5am, I did not hear the prison wake-up bell. I waited for it, and then realised that it was not a dream, but in fact I really am free.

When I realised that, I felt freedom deep in my spirit. Things had changed for good. I went back to sleep and slept until 10am, fully enjoying my ‘freedom sleep’. My family came to wake me up but I told them to let me sleep longer. It was such a good sleep.

In those first days of freedom I bumped into an old school friend and he looked at me like he’d seen a ghost.

We have a local belief that if you pour sand on a spirit it will vanish, and he started to pick up sand from the ground and pour it on my body! I told him – ‘don’t pour sand on me, I’m alive, I’m not a ghost!’ At that, he touched me and hugged me: he thought I had been executed.

He told me he would never forget the last time he saw me before my arrest 10 years ago.

At home, everything felt strange to me, even though I’m so relieved to be free. Lots of things have changed in the 10 years since I was arrested: new bridges have been built and the use of laptop computers and phones is common now.

People keep asking me ‘What happened to your finger?

[After I was arrested] my fingernails and toenails were pulled out. The scars people see are the lasting marks that torture has left me with. When I wear sandals, seeing my toes reminds me of what I went through.

Torture affects people in so many ways. It’s inhuman: heating cutlasses on a fire and then flogging a person’s back is barbaric. It affects people mentally: it causes madness. They pass out because of the pain and admit to things they never did.

What I went through – the torture and being on death row – affected me in so many ways. It affected my plans for life and my ambitions at school. I spent ten years in jail. By now I could have finished school and have started working.

What struck me most is that you can live in a country where you can face so much tragedy for no reason, and yet still have to live there. I will always pray for change in Nigeria, but I advise others living here to be very careful, so that they will not fall victim to what I went through.

I’m joining the fight against torture

My plans now I’m free are to continue my education and get as far as I always dreamt – I want to be a doctor to fulfill my late father’s wishes.

But I’ll also be a human rights activist and help others who face the same challenges that I did. I have already filled out an application form and had a passport photo taken – the requirements for becoming a volunteer activist with HURSDEF.

The Director, Justine, welcomed me warmly as ‘Comrade Moses Akatugba’. I told him: Justine, I’m joining the fight against torture so that others will not go through the pain that I did.

If I have my way, and can stop torture, I will be the happiest man on earth. I don’t want any future generation to go through what I went through in that torture chamber.

Moses Akatugba was tortured to confess to a crime he says he never committed. His ‘confession’ was then used to sentence him to death.

On 28 May 2015, Moses was pardoned after nearly 10 years in jail. Over 800,000 of you around the world took action demanding justice




Moses Akatugba was tortured to confess to a crime he says he never committed. His ‘confession’ was then used to sentence him to death.

On 28 May 2015, Moses was pardoned after nearly 10 years in jail. Over 800,000 of you around the world took action demanding justice



http://vibes247.com/my-first-week-of-freedom-after-10-years-in-a-nigerian-jail/

But, why u no tell us wetin carry you go prison, deathrow for that matter ... oya write another essay

Good for you, don't hold a grudge, just keep a positive mind. Pray for those who tortured you.

but what made u go to jail in the first place?

Happy for u thoor

seen now go make yourself useful

What a pity .......

I dont usually comment but when i do..
eyah! Story that touches heart friedmango

When you're locked up in a cell with hundreds of other guys for 10 good years without a source of pusssy to cure konji.

I'm sorry for your nyash.
Your ass is no more a private part, it is now a local government

ok

Hmm

why were u convicted and sentenced to death, thats the question on my mind.

When I went tru the story, I forgot all what I termed to be problem, I put aside my unemployment status, and remembered that God has been there for me. U can only get education when ur free. U can only achieve ur dream when ur not in captivity. I remember I have to keep thanking God for what He's done for me and stop complaining for what He's yet to do. Above all, that I am not where am suppose to be today doesn't mean I should be in the prison, especially for what u know nothing about. Thank you Lord.
Say No To Torture. Prisons should Reform and not Deform.

^^^^ they did not read the article.

Welcome bck to the land of the living and hope u learn frm ur mistakes...

.

I hated Ur story a bit (what took U there, we myt learn from that), then Ur positivity make me to feel otherwise... So I "DisHate" the story.

Crazy experience N disappointment greeted U i guess.
Out here ain't different either.

What a happy ending story.

Welcome

congrats





PRESIDENT BUHARI MUST READ MY SIGNATURE


YOU SELF MUST READ IF YOU WANNA LAFF TIRE TONIGHT

Did you miss the part he was tortured to confess/admit a crime he never committed?

phayvoursky:
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS TRUE. BUT IF IT'S TRUE PRAISE BE TO GOD.


NIGERIAN PRISONS DE RELEASE PERSON ON DEATH ROW

WE DON DE GATHER SENSE

MY QUESTIONS ARE:

*WHAT TOOK YOU TO PRISON?

*IF THAT'S YOUR PIC AND YOU SPENT TEN YEARS IN PRISON; HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU GOT IN?

*YOU THOUGHT ENGLISH AND MATHS IN PRISON; [b]WERE YOU THAT EDUCATED TO COMMIT A CRIME TO BE SENTENCED TO DEATH?[/b]

10 years? Thank God u free now bro, meanwhile when u were in prison, a lot has occur in Nigeria that I can't start to mention for now, but the most recent one is that germany is now West germany, and their president name is president michelle, again the most important name is that nigeria president real name is dullardinh0. U free to pm me for more about that name.

Please, dnt just believe everything you read online.
This story was written for him, which means the writer must add sugar.
Somebody that went to jail 10 yrs ago cannot come here and write this stuff.
We need age, prison name, allegation for imprisonment n etc

Wetin carry u go b4

Bro...how can we believe this,,,?? your face still fresh na

na essay competition??