Segun Atanda/
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has exercised his constitutional powers to pardon 53 inmates, including Segun Olowookere and his accomplice, Sunday Morakinyo, who were sentenced to death for armed robbery involving the theft of fowls and eggs.
Olowookere and Morakinyo were arrested in November 2010 for breaking into the homes of a police officer and another individual, stealing poultry and other items.
In December 2014, they were convicted and sentenced to death by an Osun State High Court.
Their case recently drew public attention after Olowookere’s mother made a heartfelt plea for intervention on a podcast.
Governor Adeleke, responding to public outcry, directed the state’s Attorney General to review the case.
Based on the recommendations of the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy, the governor granted pardons to the duo alongside 51 other inmates.
“In exercise of the power conferred on me by Section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I am pleased to extend my grace and mercy unto the said inmates,” Governor Adeleke announced in a statement shared on social media.
The decision has been widely praised for addressing perceived injustices in the legal system.
Notable among the supporters is Nigerian music superstar Davido, Governor Adeleke’s nephew, who commended the move as a step toward fairness and equity.
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