A 101 year- old man, Pa Celestine Egboluche, from Amachalla-Owerri, Akokwa, in Ideato Local Government Area of Imo State, who was jailed since 2000 alongside his only son, Paul Egboluche, 41, Thursday regained freedom from Enugu Maximum Prison following a state pardon by former Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha.
Oldest Nigerian prisoner regains freedom after 18 years in jail
His son was, however, not that lucky as he was not included from the pardon.
Pa Celestine was rushed to hospital in Enugu by a Non-Governmental Organisation, Global Society for Anti-Corruption (GSAC), that championed the cause for his pardon.
His pardon was made possible because of deteriorating health.
It was gathered that the centenarian may suffer another trauma as his house located in his village was demolished by those who accused him and his son of allegedly plotting the kidnap and the killing of one of their relations, Cyril Igbokwe.
Regional Director GSAC, South East and South South, Mrs Amaka Nweke, pleaded with governments, organisations and good spirited Nigerians to come to the aid of the dying centenarian so that he could be rehabilitated.
Nweke also pleaded that his only son should also be granted pardon to look after his father.
“We are grateful to God and the government for granting his release from prison. We are however appealing to all and sundry to come to the aid of the old man so that he could be rehabilitated because his house in the village was demolished by the villagers.
“We also appeal that his son who was imprisoned along with him should be released to attend to his ailing father“ Nweke pleads.
Pleading the innocence of her father and brother in the supposed crime for which they were incarcerated, the only surviving daughter of Pa Celestine, Miss Chisom Celestine, 31, thanked all that helped to see to the release of her father but pleaded that her brother, too be released.
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