1972: Imagine a father coming to comfort his son who’s about to be executed for armed robbery in Ajalli.
Ajalli is a town in Anambra State, Nigeria.
It is very rare when family members walk up to the stake where a family member is tied and awaiting to be executed.
Hmmmm. This is the first time am seeing such. Shocked to my marrows.
The story I heard and read are as follows.
This is the story of Stanley Enekwe in 1972.
The air in Ajalli that morning was heavy, word had spread that Stanley Enekwe was to be executed.
It was only two years after the civil war ended, the dust had barely settled.
I heard Stanley was once a soldier of the Biafran Army.
He returned home after the war hoping to start afresh. He was accused of theft, possessing a vehicle said to belong to the Nigerian Army.
In those days under General Yakubu Gowon regime, armed robbery carried death by firing squad. His defense fell on deaf ears.
But the town of Ajalli did not believe he was guilty.
Neighbours whispered, people shook their heads. They said this boy fought for survival during the war, how can you now call him a thief.
On the morning of the execution, crowd gathered before soldiers arrived.
Some came for justice, some out of curiosity, but most came out of grief because they believed he was innocent, a victim of the times.
Normally for such execution, families run away because of shame. Mothers hide, fathers deny their sons.
But Stanley father was different. He walked up to the stake where his son was tied, to comfort him, to say goodbye to his beloved son.
That love, not the crime, is what history will remember.
I’ve asked for more information and guess what, my source says he will get back to me. I want to know now about the details of the allegations and what transpired.