By John Ogunsemore
The Governor of Osun, Senator Ademola Adeleke has fulfilled his promise to grant pardon to Segun Olowookere, an indigene of the state sentenced to death for stealing chicken and eggs.
This is contained in a statement issued on Thursday.
Fifty-two other inmates, including Olowookere’s co-defendant, Sunday Morakinyo, also enjoyed the governor’s pardon.
Adeleke said the decision to pardon the convicts was in line with the recommendations of the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy and in exercise of the power conferred on him by paragraph (a), (c) and (d) of subsection (i) of section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended).
Olowookere’s case hit national limelight earlier in the month following a chilling interview his parents granted Nollywood actress, Biola Adebayo.
Olowookere’s parents said their son was roped into an armed robbery offence he knew nothing about.
His father, Olanrewaju said a divisional police officer (DPO) asked him to pay N30,000 for his son’s release but he could only raise N20,000 at the time.
In a statement after the video went viral, the Osun governor ordered the Attorney General of the State to launch a full investigation into the matter.
He also promised to grant the convict clemency.
In Thursday’s statement, the governor said 30 inmates convicted of simple offences had the remainder of the said sentences forgiven.
They are: OLUBO SUNDAY, ISAH UMAR BIODUN, FAWAS KAREEM, OMIRIN TEMITAYO, OLARENWAJU AYOMIDE, DARE SUNDAY, OLADAPO TUNDE, GANIYU SAHEED, ADEWUMI SODIQ, ADEBAYO ADEOYE KEHINDE, LASIS KAZEEM, DAUDA OJO (59 YEARS), ISMAILA RAJI, OSENI MICHEAL, AJAYI KOREDE, ABIONA NURUDEEN, OSHI SAMUEL, SHEU YUSUF OLATUNJI, OJO AANU, MUSTAPHA KEHINDE and LASIS ABEEB.
Others are ALEXANDRA IORLAHA, OJO TAIWO, AZEEZ MUJEEB, AKINYEMI DAVID, ADEOSUN ADEKUNLE, OLAOBAJU SAMUEL, ADURA ADEFEMI, PAUL BASIL and KUNLE DAVID.
The governor also granted outright pardon to 12 inmates convicted of simple offences.
They are OLABOMIJI NURUDEEN, MUSTAPHA ISAH, OLALEKAN ABDULLAHI, AYOMIDE OLOJEDE, AKEEM RAPHAEL, ADEYEMI ABIODUN, OLADIPUPO SEGUN, OMISAKIN SUNDAY, ADEMOLA ADIO, TUNDE OLAPADE, LATE CHIEF WOLE OLA
RUFUS OJO and OMOLOYE OLAJIDE
OLAYEMI.
In the case of six convicts sentenced to death, the governor approved the commutation of their sentence from death to outright release while OJEKUNLE TIMOTHY has his sentence commuted from death sentence to 15 years imprisonment having spent at least 10 years in custody.
They are OLUWAFEMI FAGBEMI, BEWAJI SUNDAY, AMEHIN GEORGE, AYOMIDE ARULOGUN, TAIWO OLUWATOBI STEPHEN and ABUBAKAR ABDULAZEEZ.
The governor disclosed that four other convicts also have their sentences commuted from death sentence to outright pardon.
They are SUNDAY MORAKINYO, SEGUN OLOWOOKERE, TUNDE OLAPADE and DEMOLA ODEYEMI.