Kumasi: An elderly man named Akollobilla, who faced a decade-long sentence in Kumasi Central Prison starting in 2012 for possessing and distributing cannabis, shared his harrowing story. At 92, Akollobilla had lost his livelihood as a cocoa farm manager due to his advanced age, pushing him towards illegal activities.
According to Ghana Web, Akollobilla recounted in an interview with Crime Check TV that he turned to selling cannabis for survival after being relieved of his duties on the cocoa farm. He explained, "I used to work on someone's cocoa farm, but I was relieved of my duties because of my age. Around the same time, someone offered me Indian hemp to sell for my daily bread. But luck eluded me, and I was arrested while the person who gave me the drugs ran away, leaving me alone."
Akollobilla chose not to inform his family about his incarceration. He instructed his wife and children to return to Bolgatanga, ensuring they remained unaware of his imprisonment for a drug-related offense. He noted his unfamiliarity with mobile phones, which further isolated him from his family during this challenging period.
Life in prison presented significant hardships for Akollobilla. He struggled with asthma, limited mobility, and a reliance on fellow inmates to assist him. "I cannot breathe properly, and the stage I have gotten to, the state should help me. It is difficult for me," he stated, reflecting on the physical challenges he faced during his imprisonment.
In 2018, Akollobilla's plight came to an end when the Crime Check Foundation intervened, resulting in a presidential pardon. Sadly, he passed away in July 2020, after experiencing both the trials of incarceration and the relief of his eventual release.