A retired prison officer identified as Abokyie has recounted how a condemned prisoner narrowly escaped execution during what he described as the final set of death penalty executions under the late former President Jerry John Rawlings.

In a video shared on social media and sighted by GhanaWeb on May 23, 2026, the retired officer narrated what he called a miraculous and divine intervention that spared the life of one inmate at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison.

According to Abokyie, 19 prisoners had been selected for execution and their documents reportedly carried approval signatures authorizing the executions.

He recalled the emotional scenes inside the condemned cells after the prisoners were informed of their fate.

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“Because when one is placed in the condemned cells, anytime you hear them knock on your door, you know it is the end of the road for you,” he said.

The former officer explained that the condemned inmates were moved to a reception area where they were asked to provide details of their next of kin while a pastor prepared to pray for them ahead of the execution.

However, he said a second review of the execution documents revealed that one prisoner’s approval signature was missing.

“I told the senior officer only 18 of these people have the president’s signature by their names. He checked and confirmed it was true, so his life was spared,” he recounted.

Abokyie added that the man who escaped execution later became a pastor after surviving the near-death experience.

Watch video below

@karishika.don.lan A former prison officer has opened up about the disturbing incident involving the killing of prisoners in Nsawam, sharing details about what allegedly happened and the tension inside the prison before everything went wrong. His revelations are getting people talking online about prison security, justice, and the treatment of inmates. #Nsawam #GhanaNews #PrisonOfficer #TrendingNow #GhanaTikTok ♬ original sound - Karishika Don Land