Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has pardoned Segun Olowookere, a man who was sentenced to death by hanging for stealing a chicken and eggs in 2010.
The decision was made public in a statement released on Thursday, December 26, 2024.
According to the statement, Governor Adeleke has exercised his prerogative of mercy towards 53 convicts serving various convictions within the Nigerian Correctional Service. The move, the statement said, is in line with the recommendations of the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy.
Olowookere is one of the convicts recommended for outright pardon due to good conduct, despite being convicted of capital offenses.
The statement reads:
In line with the recommendations of the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy, Governor Ademola Adeleke has exercised prerogative of mercy towards 53 convicts serving various convictions within the Nigerian Correctional Service.
The letter of commutation dated December 24th, 2024 and which has since been received and acknowledged by the relevant prison authorities read as follows:
“WHEREAS: the inmates whose names are set out in the schedule to this order have been convicted to various terms of imprisonment to wit. (i) Simple offences and have served substantial portions of the sentences, (ii) Convicts sentenced to death “(having spent a minimum of 10 years in custody.)
“AND WHEREAS: following the recommendation made to me by the state advisory council on the prerogative of mercy that I should exercise my power in relation to the said inmates in order to mark the 2024 Christmas celebration.
“AND WHEREAS: in the case of the 30 (thirty) inmates convicted of simple offences, I have decided in accordance with the said recommendation to remit and forgive the remainder of the said sentences in whole.
“AND WHEREAS: I have decided in accordance with the said recommendation to grant outright pardon to 12 (Twelve) inmates convicted of simple offences.
“4 (Four) Convicts have their sentences commuted from death to outright pardon. AND WHEREAS: I have decided in accordance with the said recommendation to commute the sentences as follows;
“1 (One) convict has his sentence commuted from death to 15 (Fifteen) years imprisonment. “6 (Six) Convicts have their sentences commuted from death to outright release.
“Now know ye therefore that, I Senator Ademola Jackson Adeleke, the Governor of Osun State of Nigeria, 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 the said inmates.
“My will and pleasure thereof, is that you commute the death, life and years of imprisonment as indicated herewith in the schedule”
Those in the schedule are as follows:
CONVICTS RECOMMENDED FOR OUTRIGHT PARDON (SIMPLE OFFENCES)
1. OLABOMIJI NURUDEEN 2. MUSTAPHA ISAH 3. OLALEKAN ABDULLAHI 4. AYOMIDE OLOJEDE 5. AKEEM RAPHAEL 6. ADEYEMI ABIODUN 7. OLADIPUPO SEGUN 8. OMISAKIN SUNDAY 9. ADEMOLA ADIO 10. TUNDE OLAPADE 11. LATE CHIEF WOLE OLA RUFUS OJO 12. OMOLOYE OLAJIDE OLAYEMI
CONVICTS RECOMMENDED FOR OUTRIGHT RELEASE (SIMPLE OFFENCES)
1. OLUBO SUNDAY
2. ISAH UMAR BIODUN 3. FAWAS KAREEM 4. OMIRIN TEMITAYO 5. OLARENWAJU AYOMIDE 6. DARE SUNDAY 7. OLADAPO TUNDE 8. GANIYU SAHEED 9. ADEWUMI SODIQ 10. ADEBAYO ADEOYE KEHINDE 11. LASIS KAZEEM 12. DAUDA OJO (59 YEARS) 13. ISMAILA RAJI 14. OSENI MICHEAL 15. AJAYI KOREDE 16. ABIONA NURUDEEN 17. OSHI SAMUEL 18. SHEU YUSUF OLATUNJI 19. OJO AANU 20. MUSTAPHA KEHINDE 21. LASIS ABEEB 22. ALEXANDRA IORLAHA 23. OJO TAIWO 24. AZEEZ MUJEEB 25. AKINYEMI DAVID 26. ADEOSUN ADEKUNLE 27. OLAOBAJU SAMUEL 28. ADURA ADEFEMI 29. PAUL BASIL 30. KUNLE DAVID
CONVICT RECOMMENDED FOR OUTRIGHT PARDON FOR GOOD CONDUCT (CAPITAL OFFENCES) – 4 (FOUR)
1. SUNDAY MORAKINYO 2. SEGUN OLOWOOKERE 3. TUNDE OLAPADE 4. DEMOLA ODEYEMI
CONVICT RECOMMENDED FOR OUTRIGHT RELEASE ON HEALTH GROUND, (CAPITAL OFFENCES) –
1 OLUWAFEMI FAGBEMI 2 BEWAJI SUNDAY 3. AMEHIN GEORGE 4. AYOMIDE ARULOGUN 5. TAIWO OLUWATOBI STEPHEN 6. ABUBAKAR ABDULAZEEZ
CONVICT RECOMMENDED TO BE COMMUTED FROM DEATH TO 15 YEARS IMPRISONMENT HAVING SPENT AT LEAST 10 YEARS IN CUSTODY
1. OJEKUNLE TIMOTHY
Signed Mallam Olawale Rasheed, Spokesperson to the State Governor.
