An elderly Abia man appeals to Gov. Alex Otti to save his son from a death sentence, insisting the young man was framed over an alleged phone theft.
Elderly Man Insists Son Was Framed, Seeks Urgent Government Intervention
A 67-year-old Abia resident, Mr. Mbaonu Mbaonu, has made an emotional appeal to the Executive Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, urging him to intervene in the death sentence handed to his son, Obediah Mbanonu, over an alleged phone theft.
Obediah, now 30, was reportedly sentenced to death by hanging in 2020 following his arrest in Igbere, Bende Local Government Area. His father insists the conviction was a grave miscarriage of justice, stressing that his son was innocent and deliberately framed.
Speaking during an interview with journalist Promise Uzoma Okoro at his home in Aba, Mr. Mbaonu recounted how the case spiraled out of control due to his inability to meet alleged financial demands by law enforcement officers.
According to him, police officers initially demanded a ₦400,000 bail, which later rose to ₦450,000. Unable to raise the money, he said his son was quickly arraigned in court and remanded in prison before he could seek help.
“I didn’t have that kind of money. Before I could return the next day, they told me my son had already been taken to court and sent to prison,” he lamented.
Mr. Mbaonu explained that he and his son lived together in Aba, where they operated a small business. They had traveled to their hometown, Igbere, on December 29, 2016, to attend a burial when Obediah was arrested by members of a local vigilante group.
The arrest, he said, followed the discovery of a mobile phone belonging to an engineer, Kalu Kalu, allegedly found in Obediah’s possession. The young man reportedly claimed he bought the phone from another person.
“When I got there, I saw that my son had been severely beaten. They even pierced his hands with nails. He told me he bought the phone, but they accused him of being an armed robber,” Mr. Mbaonu recounted.
The distraught father further raised concerns about due process, alleging that repeated attempts to obtain his son’s case file have been unsuccessful, with officials claiming the file could not be located.
Appealing directly to Governor Alex Otti, Mr. Mbaonu described his family as poor and powerless, with no access to legal or financial assistance.
“If God will take my life in exchange for my son’s freedom, I am ready. He is my only son. I am begging our Governor to please come to our rescue,” he pleaded.
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He also emphasized that no weapon or firearm was recovered from Obediah, adding that police searches of their residence yielded no incriminating evidence.