Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has pardoned Segun Olowookere, who was sentenced to death for armed robbery in the state.
Olowookere and his accomplice, Sunday Morakinyo, were both pardoned, according to a statement released on Thursday by the governor.
The claim that the couple received the death penalty for stealing a fowl went widespread on social media. However, the Osun State Judiciary emphasised that they were convicted of armed robbery, which included robbing a chicken in 2010.
The governor also announced that 51 other inmates have been pardoned in response to proposals from the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy.
“In line with the recommendations of the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy and in exercise of the power conferred on me by paragraph (a), (c) and (d) of subsection (i) of section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended), I am pleased to extend my grace and mercy unto 53 convicts serving various convictions within the Nigerian Correctional Service,” Adeleke said.
“In the case of inmates convicted of simple offences, I have decided in accordance with the said recommendation to remit and forgive the remainder of the said sentences of the following 30 (thirty ) inmates in whole.
“I have also decided in accordance with the said recommendation to grant outright pardon to the following 12 (twelve) inmates convicted of simple offences.
“In the case of the following 6 (six) convicts sentenced to death, I have approved the commutation of their sentence from death to outright release while Ojekunle Timothy has his sentence commuted from death sentence to 15 (Fifteen) years imprisonment having spent at least 10 (ten) years in custody.
“The following 4 (four) convicts also have their sentences commuted from death sentence to outright pardon: Sunday Morakinyo, Segun Olowookere, Tunde Olapade, Demola Odeyemi.”
Olowookere and his accomplice were arrested in 2010 for breaking into the homes of a police officer and another person.
