An rage wa babban mai garkuwa da mutane da aka yanke wa hukunci, Kelvin Oniarah Ezigbe, wanda ya yi garkuwa da fitaccen lauya Mike Ozekhome (SAN) a shekarar 2013, daga hukuncin daurin shekaru 20 zuwa shekaru 13, bayan samun afuwar shugaban kasa da Majalisar Koli ta Kasa (National Council of State) ta amince da ita.

Ezigbe, wanda aka sani da shugabancin kungiyoyin masu garkuwa da mutane masu tsanani a jihohin Delta da Edo, yana cikin jerin fursunoni 175 da Shugaban Kasa Bola Ahmed Tinubu ya bai wa afuwa da rage hukunci.

Mai ba shugaban kasa shawara na musamman kan harkokin labarai da dabarun yada bayanai, Bayo Onanuga, ya bayyana cewa rage hukuncin an yi shi ne saboda nuna nadamar da Ezigbe ya yi da kuma halartar shirye-shiryen gyara hali, ciki har da shigar sa makarantar National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

Kafin kama shi a shekarar 2013, kungiyar Ezigbe ta tayar da hankulan jama’a a yankin Niger Delta, musamman a Kokori, karamar hukumar Ethiope East ta jihar Delta, inda suka gudanar da ayyukan garkuwa da mutane da kashe-kashe masu yawa.

Daya daga cikin manyan laifukansa shi ne yin garkuwa da Ozekhome da direbansa a ranar 23 ga Agusta, 2013 a kan hanyar Benin–Auchi da ke jihar Edo, inda suka kai sama da ‘yan sanda hudu da suka zo ceto wadanda aka sace.

Har ila yau, an danganta kungiyar Ezigbe da garkuwa da Farfesa Hope Eghagha, tsohon kwamishinan ilimi a jihar Delta, a watan Satumba 2012, inda ‘dan sandan da ke rakiyarsa aka kashe. Kungiyar ta kuma kashe jami’an gidan yari biyu a jihar Delta yayin da suke kokarin ‘yantar da ‘yan kungiyarsu da aka kama.

A watan Satumba 2013, hadin gwiwar jami’an Sojojin Najeriya (NA) da Ma’aikatar Tsaron Cikin Gida (DSS) ya kai ga kama Ezigbe a Port Harcourt, jihar Rivers, kwanaki kadan bayan ya bai wa gwamnati wa’adin gina garinsu na Kokori.

Bayan shari’a, Alkali Binta Nyako ta Babbar Kotun Tarayya da ke Abuja ta yanke masa hukuncin laifukan hadin baki, ta’addanci, garkuwa da mutane, da taimakawa tserewar fursunoni, tare da wani abokin aikinsa, Frank Azuekor, a watan Oktoba 2023.

Lokacin shari’ar, Ozekhome ya bayyana cewa an rike shi a hannun masu garkuwa da shi tsawon makonni uku kuma aka sake shi ne bayan biyan kudin fansa na Naira miliyan 40.

Afuwar shugaban kasa wacce ta rage masa hukunci ta tayar da muhawara a tsakanin ‘yan kasa. Wasu na ganin hakan wata hanya ce ta sasantawa da dawo da zaman lafiya a kasa, yayin da wasu ke tambayar ko hakan bai rage darajar adalci da tsoron doka ba.