APRIL 1972: It was during the regime of General Yakubu Gowon, Nigeria’s military wartime leader and the law in place for convicted armed robbers was nothing but death by the firing squad.

“Gowon will never rest in peace”

Thus it happened in April 1972 that a young man named Stanley Enekwe was convicted of armed robbery and he was to be shot to death. The place was Ajalli, near Awka in the then East-Central State (that part is now Anambra State). Enekwe’s public execution was scheduled but something really spectacular happened.

In those days, families and relatives usually avoided the scene of public execution because they believed that the accused had brought overwhelming shame to their name and disgrace upon the entire family. However, that was not the case with Stanley Enekwe’s father.

He was not only at the execution ground but he was there with his son to…