Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has granted a pardon to Segun Olowookere and Sunday Morakinyo, who were both sentenced to death for armed robbery in the state. The governor disclosed this in a statement shared on the social media platform X on Thursday.
There had been widespread social media claims that Olowookere and Morakinyo received the death sentence for stealing a fowl. However, the Osun State Judiciary clarified that the duo was convicted for armed robbery, which included robbing a poultry farm in 2010, among other offenses.
Governor Adeleke also extended his prerogative of mercy to 51 other inmates following the recommendations of 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 powers 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 to 53 convicts serving various sentences within the Nigerian Correctional Service,” the governor announced.
He detailed the nature of the pardons as follows: For 30 inmates convicted of minor offenses, the governor forgave and remitted the remainder of their sentences in full.
For 12 other inmates, an outright pardon was granted, effectively wiping their sentences clean.
The sentences of six convicts sentenced to death were commuted to outright release. In the case of one inmate, Ojekunle Timothy, the death sentence was commuted to 15 years imprisonment, as he had already spent at least 10 years in custody.
Four individuals sentenced to death were granted an outright pardon, including Sunday Morakinyo, Segun Olowookere, Tunde Olapade, and Demola Odeyemi.
Olowookere and Morakinyo were arrested in 2010 for breaking into the homes of a police officer and another individual. They were charged with armed robbery, found guilty, and sentenced to death by hanging in 2014 by Justice Falola of the Osun State High Court. Their offenses included breaking into the officer’s house and stealing property.
Governor Adeleke’s decision reflects his use of constitutional powers to offer a second chance to certain convicts, based on the advice of the advisory council and the circumstances surrounding each case.
