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27.07.2021 Extra An Innocent Teenager was Rotting Away in Jail for Murder. Forensic Investigator Avril Edero Saved Him

Published 27th Jul, 2021

By Tola Owoyele

As far as human saviours go, Avril Eyewu-Edero can count herself one of the grandest to have existed in Nigeria. She certainly doesn’t see herself that way. But ask 17-year-old Daniel Ameh and he may even brand her Nigeria’s only saviour. That would be excessive, but no one should blame Daniel. Without Avril, he would still be rotting away in jail, and he could very likely end up with a death sentencing. For two years, it looked like his life would be taken away from him — for a crime he knew nothing about!

ONE YEAR, TWO PRO BONO CASES

Upon graduating from the London South Bank University in 2011, Avril had gone on to acquire several additional qualifications in Forensic Psychology and Criminal Investigation. She is a certified protection professional and fraud examiner.

At the beginning of 2020, Avril decided to start taking up at least two pro bono cases every year as a way of giving back to the society. The plan was to revisit crime cases that had been ‘investigated’ by the Police, and in the event of wrongful convictions and false verdicts, get them overturned.

LAST MAN STANDING NAMED THE KILLER

In February last year, Avril learnt of a murder case involving Daniel Ameh, a teenage student of the Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ogun state. Daniel had been accused of murdering Qudus Anifowoshe, 14, on October 15, 2019 in Ikorodu. He had been in incarceration ever since.

She visited Daniel at the Special Correctional Centre For Boys in Oregun and, in the cause of speaking with him, discovered Daniel had been arrested and ultimately charged with Qudus’ murder because it was claimed that he was the last person seen with the deceased before his death.

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The forensic investigator spoke with Daniel’s lawyer and then a few officers at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti. She would get a shocker during the conversations.

“During my interactions with the officers of the Panti Police Station, one of them said they were aware Daniel was innocent but someone had to take the fall for Qudus’ murder,” Avril told FIJ.

Knowing she was the only key to getting Daniel out of his wrongful imprisonment, Avril decided to reinvestigate the case. She requested the cooperation of the police officers at Alagbon but they told her they had no idea how thorough forensic investigations were conducted.

She then got police report from the station and went to the scene of the crime in the company of a few police officers.

THE LABORATORY TEST THAT VINDICATED DANIEL

At the crime scene, she took a sample of the red substance on the walls of Qudus’ family house.

Laboratory analysis conducted by Avril, using a chemical known as ‘Luminol,’ revealed that the red substance on the house wall was no blood but red paint.

“Even if a crime had been committed 50 years ago,  Luminol will give a result about the actual action,” Avril noted.

By the time the laboratory investigation was completed, Daniel had already spent one year and three months in prison for a crime he never committed.

If the Police had also done their job well, the innocent teenager would have regained his freedom a long time before then.

INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE MISSING

Again, the police officers who investigated the case were not critical enough to think in certain directions, but Avril did.

“If ritual killings had been taking place in the house, there would have been consistent traces of insect activity and other related activities but nothing like that was found at the scenem,” she said.

Daniel would also later pass the polygraph test run on him to ascertain his innocence. All other evidence suggested he was in school when Qudus was being murdered.

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SELF-CONFESSIONS OF A MURDER ACCOMPLICE

Avril interviewed a cross section of people (close to 10), including a couple of boys who resided in the area and were also arrested for the murder. It was through her interactions with one of the boys that she knew Daniel knew nothing about the said murder. The same boy who had claimed Daniel was innocent also confessed that he got N100,000 to lure Qudus out of their community for killing.

All other inmates who were arrested in relation to the case attested to this as well. Interestingly, it was later reported that this same key witness had lost his sanity after making this important confession.

 In a related development, one of the inmates revealed that Qudus’ father needed to be interrogated over the murder. This made Avril probe in that direction, and eventually, she discovered that Qudus’ father never appeared at the station despite several invitations by the Police.

DANIEL’S DISCHARGE FROM PRISON

After completing her report and submitting it, it took the office of the Director of Public Prosecutors another four months before Avril’s report and analysis could be reviewed. Eventually, it was reviewed and on July 19 all charges were eventually dropped against Daniel and he was discharged and acquitted of all charges.

Daniel is currently undergoing therapy sessions and medical check-ups, all fully funded by Avril.

AVRIL’S TEARS OF JOY

A great number of Daniels are currently languishing in maximum security prisons because of a justice system that lacks due diligence, not only on the part of its law enforcement agents. Their hope is hinged on the emergence of more people like Avril.

“I remember that when I got a notification from the DPP, I cried,” Avril told FIJ when asked to describe the experience of finally securing Daniel’s freedom.

“I feel very happy. I feel propelled to do even more. It’s a very god feeling. I felt a joy that I don’t think I ever experienced.”

On that evidence, the other Daniels in jail should be on the lookout for Avril’s promise to do more. Just that, as she said earlier, this pro bono help will only happen twice a year.

Independent, public-interest journalism has never been more vital than in times like this when truth is constantly being suppressed. With your support, it will be easier for us to continue speaking truth to power and preserving your right to know.

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Published 27th Jul, 2021

By Tola Owoyele

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