Accra: A retired prison officer, identified as Abokyie, has shared a harrowing account of a condemned prisoner who narrowly escaped execution during the final set of death penalty executions under the late former President Jerry John Rawlings.
According to Ghana Web, in a video shared on social media, Abokyie described what he referred to as a miraculous and divine intervention that spared the life of an inmate at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison. He detailed that 19 prisoners had been selected for execution, with their documents carrying approval signatures authorizing the executions.
The retired officer recalled the emotional scenes inside the condemned cells after the prisoners were informed of their impending fates. He explained the ominous reality faced by those in condemned cells, highlighting the fear that every knock on their door could signify the end.
As the condemned inmates were moved to a reception area to provide details of their next of kin and receive prayers from a pastor, Abokyie noted a critical oversight. A second review of the execution documents revealed that one prisoner's approval signature was missing.
'I told the senior officer only 18 of these people have the president's signature by their names. He checked and confirmed it was true, so his life was spared,' Abokyie recounted. The inmate who escaped execution through this oversight later went on to become a pastor, transforming his near-death experience into a new path in life.