Musa Jack Ngonadi, the son of former Nigerian
president, General Yakubu Gowon, has been
released from a California prison after 22 years.
Musa at age 23, the month he was arrested
Musa was living in the United States with his
mum, late Edith Ike Okongwu, when he was
arrested in November 18, 1992 at age 23.
Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration
and the United States Customs Service arrested
him for conspiring to import in excess of one
kilogram of heroin. He was sentenced to 40
years in prison for the allegedly smuggling heroin
from source countries. Although Jack Musa
protested vehemently through his legal team that
he was innocent and was framed up, this did not
stop him from being sentenced.
Musa in prison, he graduated with a degree in
law. Standing with him is his half brother,
Richard
However, Musa decided being in prison is not
the end of life. He enrolled in one of the
universities around and successfully graduated
with a degree in Law as a prison inmate. He was
also a role model and a legal adviser to all the
inmates. He carried himself well and was a
source of inspiration to co- inmates who have
given up on life. He was rewarded for all his good
conducts severally by the prison authorities.
Musa Gowon
His family however did not relent in efforts at
getting him out of the prison. Moves for his
release began to grow louder and President
Obama heard one of the moves and acted by
granting him a parole. Musa walked out of Taft
Correctional Facility Bakersfield California as a
free man on November 2 and he is currently at
ICE Detention Center Bakersfield CA where he
will be deported back to Nigeria any moment
from now.
Just recently, General Yakubu Gowon, Nigeria’s
former head of state said his experience after
governing the country showed that Nigeria is not
an easy country to lead.
Posted by: Philip Ochika