At the age of 26, Lukman accompanied his friend, Ismaila Lasisi, to the police station. Ismaila had been summoned by the police, and Lukman, out of loyalty, decided to support his friend by going with him. Little did he know that this act of solidarity would lead to his arrest and detention.

Once at the station, SARS Police officers subjected Lukman to severe physical and psychological torture, coercing confessions for crimes he knew nothing about. Lukman endured nine grueling years in pre-trial detention before being sentenced to death and spending the next 15 years on death row.

Recalling the events that led to his imprisonment, Lukman shared, "I am Lukman Adeyemi, a native of Iwerele, Iwajowa Local Government, Oyo State. I am a bricklayer by profession. I was 26 years old when I had this problem. In August 2000, after returning home from work with a friend living with me, Ismaila Lasisi, we were told that the Police came to look for Ismaila and he was asked to report himself in the station. I immediately decided to follow him to the station, lo and behold I was arrested and detained along with him."

Lukman described the relentless torture he faced, "I was tortured to the point of death over a crime I knew nothing about, right from the police station. I had a close shave with death over the murder of a woman hired by some ex-friends of Ismaila Lasisi to fetch water for them at the construction site. The woman left home in the morning and never returned. Ismaila Lasisi once lived with them. He begged to come and live with me after he had a misunderstanding with these people in March. I knew these people from a far distance. Our paths never crossed in life for anything. This was how I was charged to court along with these people over an offense I never had any knowledge of."

In 2009, Lukman and his co-accused were sentenced to death. Their appeals were denied by the Supreme Court. Despite his persistent claims of innocence, Lukman's pleas fell on deaf ears. "I felt abandoned by truth itself. I spent 24 years behind bars like 24 hours, a sleepless night that lasted for two decades," he lamented.

A glimmer of hope emerged in June 2023, when Deputy Superintendent of Correctional (DSC) AbdulKareem Awesu introduced Lukman's case to a pastor. This connection led to a visit from the Centre for Justice Mercy and Reconciliation (CJMR), led by Pastor Hezekiah Olujobi. The group listened to the testimonies of Lukman and the actual culprits, who exonerated him. Their efforts to shed light on his innocence finally paid off. On June 14, 2024, Lukman Adeyemi walked out of prison, a free man.