Nigerian Man Seeks Justice Amid Unjust Imprisonment in US
“Man, from Nigeria Bags 3 life sentences plus 76 years”: Cried out of US Prison, claimed “I didn’t do it, It wasn’t me”
BY: Hezekiah Deboboye Olujobi
“I was only accused and framed by Douglas County Sheriff Department”
“I am a responsible man, a married man, and a father of two children. I am a Nigerian based in Tokyo in Japan, I was invited by my friend to come and do car business in Atlanta Georgia, in less than two months I ended up in jail facing life sentences over the allegation of rape, an offense i did not commit”
A Nigerian serving three life sentences plus 76 years in a U.S. prison for a crime he claims he did not commit seeks help from the Center for Justice, Mercy, and Reconciliation. He details his innocence, the betrayal of a friend turned witness for Police against him, and the lack of proper legal representation. He provides evidence such as DNA results, video footage, and phone GPS records to prove his location at the time of alleged crime to innocence and request assistance in his legal battle.
The man Adedoja Olaniyi Bah highlights key evidence supporting his innocence and pleads for assistance from the CJMR and the Nigerian government to secure justice.
On June 14, 2024, the Centre for Justice, Mercy, and Reconciliation (CJMR) successfully secured the release of two individuals, Lukman Adeyemi and Ismaila Lasisi, who had been wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for 24 years. Their story was published by the BOSS Newspaper, Vanguard, Punch, The Nation with the headline, and other media and blogs featured the story. The story of Lukman Adeyemi made headlines everywhere. Since then, we have been receiving calls from inmates on Death Row at Ibara Abeokuta, Ogun State, Kirikiri Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Apapa Lagos State, and even from Dooly Prison in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America. These inmates claim they have been sentenced to death and serving life imprisonment for crimes they did not commit.
In Kirikiri Maximum Security Center, there are three convicts from Osun State who sent messages to our office claiming innocence of the convictions they are awaiting execution for. Unfortunately, one of them is mentally deranged. The man maintains that he never committed any crime with the person he was convicted with.
Similarly, a police officer from Osun State, who was accused by a fellow police officer of armed robbery in 2001 and sentenced to death over the allegation, has appealed for our intervention regarding the conviction. The man, Victor Akpoyibo, swears that he never committed such an offense in his life.
The family of Robert Israel, who was sentenced to life imprisonment on June 13, 2024, by the Lagos State High Court for the alleged rape of a minor, has reached out to the Centre for Justice to come to the rescue of their father and husband. The family expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment passed by the court without valid evidence. Contact was made with the Robert Israel in Kirikiri, and he also swore that he did not commit the offense.
When you hear someone swearing that they did not commit an offense, when you hear someone say, “If I ever committed this offense, may I die in prison,” someone should take the time to listen to their side of the story with deep probing; they may be telling the truth while some may be telling lie.
At the Center for Justice, Mercy, and Reconciliation, we lend a listening ear to those with such complaints. Currently, we have 18 people on our list for intervention.
Wrongful conviction is a global epidemic. It starts from the police who made the arrest to the prosecutor who misleads the court and the court that accepts such manufactured lies and decides to misapply the law.
On the 26th of June, 2024, at about 10.11 pm, I received a WhatsApp message with an international number. The man introduced himself “I am Adedoja Olaniyi BAH from Atlanta Georgia US. Sir, i would like to speak with you. However, I understand it is very late in Nigeria now. Please, what time would be a good time to call you tomorrow? Thank you” I responded I am free. “Right now? Yes! I was on my laptop working.
Speaking from Dooly Prison in Atlanta, Georgia! I adjusted my seat very well to listen to his story, we entered into a conversation that lasted over 2 hours by 12.20 a.m., and we ended our conversation.
The following day, we continue. It was a long drilling question that could bring man from his hidden place. Day after day, week after weeks, I refused to be emotionally raped. I demanded I want to see his mother, instantly we were connected, the following day his mother and sisters were in our office. They also shared their burden. I read his story on Twitter, Nairaland, LinkedIn and Facebook and all Social Media with caption “Man from Nigeria Bags 3 life sentences plus 76 years” Another one said “Adedoja Olaniyi BAH a Nigerian National who was visiting the US was sentenced to three life sentence over a rape of 13 years old girl” Having researched on his story and having drilled the defendant on his claims with several questions, I do not stop hearing from him alone, I contacted his friend whom he accused of architect of his misfortune. I am compelled and convinced to open up the revelation at my disposal to the whole world and I think he deserved to be heard. What happened? I asked him to put his word into writing in brief, and so he did. I hereby open the door of the temple of the public court of opinion for you particularly the reader to judge righteously.
Having read his 5 pages of his petition I posed further questions to him in other to shed light to the dark area.
Further Investigations:
THE CONFLICT: I would like to answer your question about the conflict between me and Toye after I left his house. I had already bougth the five cars before I left his house. It was after I left his house in June that I bought the explorer. The conflict started when I bought the Ford Explorer from a dealership slot without his consent. It was against Toyes’ expectation. Toye felt betrayed about it because I cut him off from getting certain commission out of the cost price, Toye does not like my decision, and that created a sense of betrayer within him and I was accused of behaving like a too know in regards to the situation.
Again, he felt betrayed by me to the extent that he didn’t talk to me anymore, and he didn’t come to my house anymore. The relationship was so bad that we didn’t see each other for days again.
However, he was still in possession of the cars and title of the cars because they were posted and cars parked at his office. So that was the situation between me and Toye. The whole conflict between me and Toye was all just about the money that he wanted to make through me.
So, that was the situation of the problems between us. That was the reason he could not respond to my call when I called him at the early time of the incident. I called Toye when I was driving to the station. He knew I was on my way, and I spoke with him even before the interrogation started. In fact, I was suspecting he pointed my car to the police. You know, I told you after my car was stopped, the police man went and make a call, I think I am not making a wrong assertion.
Answer to that question: Toye came to see me at the Police Station in the first week of August 2017. That was the first and the last time I saw him. After that, he cut ties with me and became a witness for the prosecution. For Toye to be a witness for the police, it means he took money from the state to witness against me. How police connected with him to be a witness against me is the question he must answer before God.
Answer to that question: The distance between my apartment and his office is 5 minutes. The distance between my apartment and his house is 15 minutes. The distance between his house and the police is about 30 minutes.
I arrived in Tokyo in 2007. I first met Toye in Tokyo in 2007, and we briefly worked together for a couple of months. We became friends when we discovered we are from the same town, Ilesha. Toye moved permanently to the US in 2009, and since then, we have been communicating.
On how I found myself in Atlanta Georgia: He was the one who invited me to come and do business in Georgia. Toye told me he has an auction license, he said I can buy cars at the cheaper rate and double the money in Nigeria. I said okay, that sounds like a good deal. I bought my ticket and flew to Atlanta. After I stayed with Toye for like one month, we bought cars, we bought Lexus, Toyota, Mercedes Benz, Ford and then I bought another vehicle for myself, different from the auction I paid for all the vehicle, I paid my friend his commission. Then, I paid for the shipment of the vehicle from the Atlanta to Nigeria.
On why I left his house: After like a month I have stayed with my friend he told me his mother will be visiting the US and there is need for me to vacate the spare room so he suggested that I should rent a hotel, I told him the cost staying in a hotel will be too much and I need to stay like one month to two months before they ship my cars to Nigeria. So instead of wasting money staying in a hotel at that time, I think it is much better and more reasonable to rent an apartment. So, we talk about the apartment and the plan then was I would rent the apartment, pay every rent and everything. He will continue to maintaining the apartment probably letting it out to the JJC to the newcomer and you now put them in the apartment collecting rent from them and things like that, I mean that is a common business the Nigerians were doing in Atlanta then, so as for me I said okay that is not a problem we can get that done as long as I will stay there and when I pack my bag you can take over that’s all right so I rented the apartment and I paid for one month between 12 June to July 12 that was how i moved to a new apartment which was not far to his office.. When I was told that the shipment of my car is not yet clear I extended my stay with 2 weeks which is July 30th precisely. This arrest happened on 25th July, 2017.
I have four cars with Toye before my arrest, Toye was in possession of the documents of my cars and the cars are in his possession before my arrest.
I would like you to know that the crime does not happen in my apartment unit. The crime actually happened in the open park, in the wood that belongs to the other apartment according to the police report, not in my apartment.
For further clarification, CJMR contacted Olaniyi’s mother Mrs. Adedoja Victoria a retired teacher and a widow.
The Widow said, she received a phone calls from Olutoye Atunnise, his mother and a prophet of Toye informing her about the arrest of her son Olaniyi BAH asking her to send the sum of 20,000 dollars to get her son out of the police station but she couldn’t get such amount of money. She said it was Olutoye that broke the news of her son with the police to her in 2017. “I was at the MFM Camp in Lagos when I heard a phone call from a man who introduced himself as Olutoye Atunnise breaking the news of my son Olaniyi BAH in police detention in Atlanta in a rude manner, asking me to look for money to bail him in the police station because he has committed a grievous offence, he said I should send the money to his account, I told him I don’t have such amount of money, I am a retired teacher, I am a widow, he said “E lo ta nkan to bani” “Go and sell his properties”. In panic I demanded for his account in case we can get any amount. He dropped his account for me a GTB account number 0174564903. if you get the money send it to my account. The woman screen shot the contact phone number of Olatoye Atunnise to me to authenticate her claim. In my attempt to authenticate the claim of the woman’s story, I inserted the GT Account number to my bank app. It truly displayed Olutoye Atunnise Samson. The question is, what is the motive behind all this story? It was Olutoye who invited his friend to Atlanta Georgia to come and do business, within few months in Geogia, the man ran into the problem. BAH entered Georgia in May, 5 days to his exit from Georgia after he had paid for all the cars shipment he bought, he ran into
the police trouble with a case of rape. He was abandoned by his friend. During the trial, it was his friend who came to witnessed against him. All the cars he bought were still in his possession with the thousands of dollars in the hand of his friend.
Further investigation to Olatoye Atunnise: The Bible says in the book of 1 Thess 5:21 On the other hand, don’t be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what’s good.
This story will be incomplete and full of bias without contacting Olutoye to hear from his own side. Based on the phone number the mother of Olaniyi gave me I decided to call Toye, fortunately it rang and the person acknowledged that I am talking to Olutoye Atunnise. I introduced myself to him and my mission to make enquiry about what transpired between him and his friend. He queried me who gave me his number? I told him from his friend. He asked further which of my friend? I told him from Adedoja Olaniyi BAH. He denied that “He is not my friend” I asked further if he ever called his mother, he was silenced, after a while he said he does not have his mother’s phone number and he denied ever calling his mother. He also emphasized that Niyi did raped. He gave credit to America skill of investigation. Hence, he kept silent to answer weather he called Olaniyi’s mother or not he admitted that he hosted Olaniyi as his guest when he came to America. The rest of His story and that of Olaniyi’s mother is recorded on voice note, the conversation is on my youTube on “Prison Diary”, listen to it and be the judge.
We also took extra step to speak with Anike, the Japanese wife of Olaniyi BAH who affirmed that Olutoye Atunnise contacted her through her facebook to break the news of her husband’s predicaments in police detention in Atlanta Georgia and he demanded money for his release. The Japanese woman and the mother of two expressed her untold hardship since the incarceration of her husband, the whole responsibility on the two children on her solder and she taken care of her aged parents. She vouched for the character of her husband as a loyal father and husband who can never do such a dirty act.
According to Olaniyi “In 2020 two people were set free after 19 and 41 years in prison as a result of DNA Testimony. I already have the same DNA Testimony, the only thing I need is to present it to the Court of law but NICOLE JONES my Government lawyer does not present this evidence in the brief because she knows the exonerated value, I need a good lawyer to present my evidence before the Court of Appeal, I am pleading to good people of all kinds of human race to rise and help me out.”
The mother of Olaniyi Mrs. Adedoja call on the intervention of all mothers to rise to her crying and she appeal to the President of Nigeria His Excellency, Bola Ahmmed Tinubu and the Governor of Osun State Senator Isiaka Adeleke to come to the rescue of her son. She expressed her agony as a retiree and a widow to survive the hardship and the impact of the wrongful incarceration of her son in a strange land.
Pastor Hezekiah Olujobi said “Judiciary is a hope of a common man, if a common man cannot get justice the hope and the purpose of justice is forfeited. The Centre for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation is appealing to all good people of Nigerians, the Government and the Governed, home and abroad to rise up and rescue Adedoja from the jaw of injustice. An injury to one is an injury to all.”
We have reached out to Hon Abike Dabiri Erewa the Chairman CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission she has advised that we should send our petition to the US Ambassador and get a good lawyer. The petition has been dispatched to the Embassy of Nigeria in New York and Atlanta Georgia. The Centre for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation (CJMR) is making a frantic effort to secure a good lawyer to represent Adedoja Olaniyi BAH in the Appeal Court.
According to Olaniyi “In 2020 two people were set free after 19 and 41 years in prison as a result of DNA Testimony. I already have the same DNA Testimony, the only thing I need is to present it to the Court of law but NICOLE JONES my Government lawyer does not present this evidence in the brief because she knows the exonerated value, I need a good lawyer to present my evidence before the Court of Appeal, I am pleading to good people of all kinds of human race to rise and help me out.”
The mother of Olaniyi Mrs. Adedoja call on the intervention of all mothers to rise to her crying and she appeal to the President of Nigeria His Excellency, Bola Ahmmed Tinubu and the Governor of Osun State Senator Isiaka Adeleke to come to the rescue of her son. She expressed her agony as a retiree and a widow to survive the hardship and the impact of the wrongful incarceration of her son in a strange land.
Pastor Hezekiah Olujobi said “Judiciary is a hope of a common man, if a common man cannot get justice the hope and the purpose of justice is forfeited. The Centre for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation is appealing to all good people of Nigerians, the Government and the Governed, home and abroad to rise up and rescue Adedoja from the jaw of injustice. An injury to one is an injury to all.”
We have reached out to Hon Abike Dabiri Erewa the Chairman CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission she has advised that we should send our petition to the US Ambassador and get a good lawyer. The petition has been dispatched to the Embassy of Nigeria in New York and Atlanta Georgia. The Centre for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation (CJMR) is making a frantic effort to secure a good lawyer to represent Adedoja Olaniyi BAH in the Appeal Court.