In 1972, in the quiet town of Ajalli, near Awka in present-day Anambra State, a father made a choice that would forever be remembered—not for its defiance, but for its love.
Stanley Enekwe, a young man and former Biafran soldier, had been convicted of armed robbery and sentenced to death by firing squad. His people swore he was innocent, but their voices were drowned out by the harsh realities of the time. There would be no mercy.
In those days, public executions were not just a punishment; they were a spectacle. Families of the condemned rarely showed up, choosing instead to distance themselves, to avoid the shame. But Enekwe’s father was different. He refused to abandon his son.
On the day of the execution, as Stanley stood facing his fate, his father stood beside him. Not in protest, not in anger, but in love. He did not look away. He did not flinch. As the midday sun bore down, and fear and tension filled the air, he reached for his son. With a trembling hand, he wiped the sweat from Stanley’s face—one last act of care, one last gesture of fatherly devotion.
And then, in a voice steady with faith, he whispered, “Fear not, the Lord is waiting to receive you.”
In that moment, death lost its power. Because love was stronger. Because a father’s final gift to his son was not sorrow, but the comfort of knowing he was not alone.
©Okoli Chukwuemeka
