In 1972, in the small town of Ajalli, near Awka in presentday Anambra State, Nigeria, a father made a choice that would be remembered for generations, not for rebellion, but for love.
Stanley Enekwe, a young man and former Biafran soldier, had been found guilty of armed robbery and sentenced to death by firing squad. His people swore to his innocence, but their cries were swallowed by the harsh realities of that era. There would be no pardon.
At the time, public executions were more than a punishment; they were grim spectacles. Families of the condemned often stayed away, preferring to hide from the shame. But Enekwe’s father refused to turn his back.
On the day of the execution, as Stanley stood before his fate, his father stood beside him. Not in protest, not in anger, But in firm love. He did not look away or turn his back on him. Under the fierce mid day sun, with tension thick in the air, he reached out to his son. With a trembling hand, he cleaned off the sweat from Stanley’s face, showing one final act of care, one last sign of a father’s devotion.
Then, in a voice strong with faith, he whispered, “Fear not, the Lord is waiting to receive you.”
In that instant, death lost its sting. Love proved that it was stronger. Because a father’s final gift to his son was not fear or despair, but the unshakable comfort of knowing he was not alone.
