A distressed father in Abia State, Mr. Mbaonu O. Mbaonu, has appealed to Governor Alex Otti to intervene in the death sentence imposed on his only son, Obadiah Mbaonu, by an Abia State High Court. The father insists that his son was wrongly convicted and framed over a phone theft allegation, and claims that the case is rooted in a long-standing land dispute.
Obadiah Mbaonu was sentenced to death by hanging on July 7, 2020, by the Abia State High Court sitting in the Igbere Judicial Division. The judgment was delivered by Justice Agwu Umah Kalu under case number HIG IC 2017, following charges of armed robbery involving two mobile phones. The prosecution alleged that Obadiah robbed one Kalu I. Kalu of a Nokia Lumia phone valued at N120,000 and a Huawei MT7 TL10 phone valued at 600 dollars.
Speaking to newsmen, Mr. Mbaonu described the ruling as unjust and insisted that his son was innocent. He alleged that the conviction was motivated by personal vendetta linked to a longstanding land dispute, adding that his family had been targeted unfairly.
“My son pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was framed because of a land dispute. This judgment is a clear act of vendetta,” he said.
The father also expressed serious concern about Obadiah’s transfer from Afara Correctional Centre in Umuahia to the Enugu Correctional Facility. According to him, the transfer has made it extremely difficult for family members to visit and support him. Mr. Mbaonu further alleged that since the transfer, the official case file has been missing, raising questions about transparency and procedural fairness in the handling of the matter.
Highlighting the emotional toll, the father described the death sentence as an unbearable burden on the family, especially since Obadiah is their only child. He pleaded with Governor Otti to exercise his constitutional powers to review the case and intervene in the interest of justice, emphasizing the need for fairness, mercy, and a thorough reexamination of the evidence.
Legal observers note that cases involving the death penalty require rigorous review, as any procedural errors or lapses can have irreversible consequences. The lack of access to the case file and the distance from the correctional facility have made it difficult for the family and their legal counsel to properly challenge the conviction.
As of the time of reporting, there has been no official response from the Abia State Government or the Abia State Judiciary regarding the father’s appeal or the allegations of a missing case file. The family continues to hold out hope that the governor’s intervention will prevent a miscarriage of justice and ensure that Obadiah receives a fair hearing.
The case has drawn attention to broader concerns about the administration of justice in the state, the handling of death penalty cases, and the need for greater oversight to prevent possible miscarriages of justice. Community members and human rights advocates have called for transparency and due process to ensure that the law is applied fairly and impartially.
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