• After decades in Kwara prison awaiting the hangman’s noose, ex-soldier relives horrifying experience, seeks help
• Says, I haven’t had sex in 30 years
From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
Moses Angura Agana was a pioneer member of the National Guard of Nigeria during the military administration of former Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida. A Tiv from Juwa in Benue State, he said certain circumstances occurred that sent the soldier into prison, where he spent 29 years in jail, 11 of which were on death row at the Oke-Kura Correctional Service Centre, Ilorin, Kwara State. He received his freedom October 24 2022 after being pardoned by the Kwara State Governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.
He recently spoke about how he found himself in jail awaiting t6he hangman’s noose over a murder case and how he received his freedom.
National Guard and I
I was in the first set of the National Guard, recruited by Former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida during his regime. We worked hard for the purpose of defending the Head of State. We were dissolved during the tenure of late General Sani Abacha.
I had an issue, which became a murder case then. I was sent to prison in 1994 and I was there until Feb 2006. Then I was sentenced to death by hanging. But glory be to God, after 11years and three months in the condemned cell, as someone expecting death any moment, the former Governor of Kwara State, Mallam Abdulfatai Ahmed visited the Oke-Kura Prison on May 25, 2017 and my sentence was changed from death sentence to 21 years imprisonment. But glory be to God, in the process of this, having served 21 years in jail, it was as if a miracle happened to me on October 24 2022. That was when Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State granted some of us amnesty. I was among those that were released after 29 years in prison.
My murder case
My offence was a murder case. I truly committed the offence. It was at Offa in Kwara State that I had a misunderstanding with a police officer, which resulted to the death of the police officer. I was arrested and thrown into prison. Though it was not my intention to kill the officer, I knew it was a great and unforgivable crime that I committed. It was not my intention to commit such a crime. But I will find time another day to tell the full story to the whole world.
Why I was freed
Some of the criteria they considered include old age, good behaviour, or ill health, or if someone is seriously sick beyond any cure, or a repentant person, either a devoted Muslim or Christian. If the authorities realised that such a person wouldn’t cause more problems to the society, he might be considered for pardon. I don’t know the number, but we were many that the governor granted amnesty.
Reunion with my family? Not yet. I spent quite a long time in prison. As I am speaking with you, I am still in Ilorin and yet to go to my family. Because what God has given me in prison, the skills I acquired, these have compelled me to delay my relocation a bit from Ilorin. But many people have been calling from my home town, since they knew I was sentenced to death but was miraculously released.
Gospel music
I am trying to practise the skill I acquired in prison. I am now into gospel music. I have succeeded in my gospel music. I have produced some albums. Presently I have started distributing the albums across churches in Ilorin and Oyo State.
And many people have started requesting for it. I believe strongly that our society would learn a lot from my past deeds, my experience, and they might rejoice with me. As I am sitting here right now, I seriously need help from the society. After 29 years in prison, I don’t have a house, even a room where to sleep. My wife died in 2006 even before I was sentenced to death. I don’t have anything. So, I just want the people of Nigeria to know my plight. I decided to practise what I learnt in prison because, after many inmates have spent a lot of years in the prison and are later set free, they would become jobless. It is very likely again that majority of them would go back to their criminal activities, commit fresh crimes and they get caught and are sent back to prison.
Bible programme in prison
I was in a serious bad mood when former Governor Bukola Saraki came to Oke-Kura Prison on December 20 2007. He came to give amnesty to people then and many of them that were released had not spent half of what I had spent in prison. Then I had spent 14 years in prison. They were released and this made me to move closer to God. I was praying to God, I wanted to know the lessons He wanted to teach me in the prison that He had not shown me. I started embarking on regular fasting and prayers, seeking God’s mercy and forgiveness. But many inmates thought I was getting mad because I was no longer relating with them. I was doing all these inside the condemned room, not in the open yard, but in the single and dangerous cell where all hopes were lost. Then, I would go on my knees and continue praying. Then I received a revelation of composing gospel music. I received this in a dream not even, while I was sleeping. I heard from God that I should sing a song in Yoruba language. When I concluded my first album, I knew that, yes, this is what God wants me to know. I practised the song and rehearsed it until I knew it. I met the welfare officer for approval. I then discovered that I could compose gospel music from that one song. Now, I have many songs in English, Igbo, Tiv, and Yoruba language. I have many songs inside of me. If I can get some support, I will begin to bring them out and they would be useful to the society.
Pastor while awaiting death
I became a pastor because it is not given by human beings. The way you behave, the way you act, people would give you names. When you act as a pastor, showing and seeing evidence, people would talk. Whatsoever you want to be, when you act on it, whether you a good or bad person, people would still talk so, during my time at prison people give me different bad names.
Experience, challenges as prisoner for 29 years
There is a kind of life that takes people to prison. And looking at the title of my testimony CD cassette, which I titled ‘Disobedience,’ disobedience to parents, the law or society can lead a person into jail. If I obey the law, I will never fight a person, which may lead to his death. So, some people can steal after they have been warned. They still do a lot of bad things. Even presently when I came out of jail, I came to the town, I checked my age and discovered that the world generally has turned upside down. I want to advise the Nigerian government, the Minister of Interior to review the prison conditions. It should be that if they release a person that had been serving for long, the person needs a standing capital to restart life afresh. They should assist such persons so that they could be able to stand. Because, before going to prison, you might have your house, job, business and your vehicle, but after serving the jail term, you would have to go back to square one. And if is not the help and mercy of God, the person might go back to crime again. By that time, he would even be more terrible. But if such a person is empowered, he would never think of committing any crime again. Like my own case now, if not for the mercy of God after 29 years, why can’t I commit a crime again so that I would make it? It is the mercy of God and the mercy of some people who are just assisting me little by little.
And it’s not everyone that commits a crime that should be taken to prison. Sometimes, the prison corrupts them the more. Some that do break and entry, not robbery or murder, would spend years in jail. The police would have collected all they stole, then the judge would remand them in jail for so long. Many people on awaiting trial have died because of hunger. In my own case, I spent consecutively 12 years awaiting trial before my case was concluded and I was sentenced to death by hanging.
Feelings upon my release
The day we were released, I was given N20,000 for transport. I used it to feed myself because things are vey costly. That is why I’m not willing to go home now. I am planning to make some money. I don’t feel bad. I’m rather happy for getting my freedom after 30 years. In the past 30 years, I have not tasted alcohol and I haven’t had sex with any woman. I am happy and I feel good for being given another opportunity by the Kwara State government. And I appreciate all those that have stood by me in those years.