The amount this man received is completely and totally insulting. How is this acceptable?

Lawrence McKinney was convicted of burglary and rape in 1978.

A neighbor was raped by two intruders. She testified that McKinney was one of the men who raped her. He received 115 years in prison for the conviction.

In 2008, DNA tests proved that he was wrongfully convicted.

The Innocent Project obtained evidence that he could not have been one of the rapists. He was released from prison in 2009.

Naturally, the state of Tennessee owes him money for all the years he lost in jail.

For 31 years, he rotted away in prison as an innocent man. That's a stain on the entire justice system. He deserves fair compensation for his lost years.

For his time in jail, McKinney received $75.

The state cut him a check. Because he had no identification, it actually took him three months to obtain that pittance.

He is also appealing for a formal exoneration, which was rejected by the Board of Parole of Tennessee.

Amazingly, they unanimously voted 7-0 that there was no convincing evidence that McKinney was innocent, despite the DNA evidence proving he was not one of the attackers. The odds of this DNA test being wrong are about 1 in 1000000000.

For his part, McKinney is not bitter about his time spent in jail.

He is looking to move forward with his life. He had met a woman and gotten married. He just wants money to start a life. Being in jail since he was 22, he has no education, training, or any real ability to support himself.

The state should compensate this innocent man fairly, not with the insulting $75.

It's outrageous that the state would not help this innocent man get back on his feet. As a society, we should feel obligated to help the wrongfully convicted.

March 30, 2017

File photo 

Following the invasion of Abbi Community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government area by Fulani herdsmen who allegedly unleashed mayhem on the residents, a brother and sister were slaughtered and about seven houses and several motorcycles were razed down.

According to a report by Vanguard, a total of at least 19 persons were declared missing in the community even as several others were also wounded with machetes by the invaders.


Reports revealed that the Fulani herdsmen numbering over 30 emerged from the bush, and began to attack the people in the community last Thursday, killing their victims and maiming others with machetes before fleeing into the bush unharmed.

The two relations who were killed were identified as Fidelis Okeja, 45, and his sister Mercy, 50. Fidelis and Mercy were sitting outside their compound around 6.30pm discussing when suddenly, about 30 masked Fulani herdsmen emerged from nowhere and them instantly.

They later went ahead and attacked other members of the community with machetes, burnt some houses before retreating into the bush.

Investigations by Vanguard, revealed that sporadic shooting by the suspected Fulani herdsmen sent shivers into the inhabitants of other parts of the community who scampered for safety amid confusion.

While speaking with a correspondent, a reliable source in the community, said that the people were taken unawares by Fulani herdsmen, adding that the police and members of the local vigilante group were yet to respond to cries of the people before the invaders escaped into the bush.

"The most worrisome aspect of the Fulani invasion of the community was that about 19 people are still missing as nobody can give account of them. Those missing were last seen on the fateful day. The community formed search parties in groups, combing bushes within and outside the community for days now, yet no sign of success has been recorded.

"We have lodged formal complaint at both Adani police station and Police Area Command Nsukka, but no arrests have been made over the matter. The Fulani herdsmen were armed to the teeth with dangerous weapons when they invaded us.

"Two people killed while 19 missing, several others brutalised with deep machete cuts now lying critical down at different hospitals. The corpses of the deceased Fidelis and Mercy have been deposited at Bishop Sanahan Hospital, Nsukka while the search for the missing 19 people continues," he said.

A senior officer at the Police Area Command, Nsukka who spoke on the condition of anonymity confirmed the story describing the attack on Abbi community "as pathetic and sorrowful as two biological relations were killed and several others wounded among others."

He, however, said that full scale investigations has commenced to unravel the circumstances surrounding the barbaric attack on the community.

March 29, 2017