Veteran Nollywood actor Nkem Owoh, popularly known as Osuofia, has described the killing of his older brother, Bartholomew by former military head, Muhammadu Buhari, as one of the most painful experiences of his life.
eelive.ng reports that Bartholomew, alongside two others, Lawal Ojuolape and Bernard Ogedengbe were executed by firing squad on April 10, 1985, for drug-related offences.
Speaking about the execution which sparked a national outrage at the time, the veteran actor during a recent interview recounted the trauma the incident caused him and the deep questions it raised about justice under Nigeria’s military rule.
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“I was working with the Anambra Television that time and I was so furious that I was shedding tears along the corridors,” he recalled.
The actor criticised the military government’s decision to retroactively apply the death penalty to the offences.
“In fact, the thing that touched me most is that they had to shift the effective date of that decree,” he said.
“You know, during the military era, they can just get out one decree and the next minute, it’s in operation.”
“So for them to backdate it to involve or include people who did not commit the offence within their own regime, but years back, I was very bitter.”