Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has granted the prerogative of mercy to Segun Olowookere, a young man convicted of armed robbery and sentenced to death by an Ogun State High Court in 2014.
Adeleke had directed Oluwole Jimi-Bada, the state attorney general and commissioner for justice, on December 17 to review the circumstances surrounding Olowookere’s conviction with a view to pardoning him.
Olowookere was pardoned alongside Sunday Morakinyo and 51 others convicted of simple and capital offences on Thursday, according to a statement signed by Olawale Rasheed, the governor’s spokesperson.
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“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,” Rasheed wrote.
“The letter of commutation dated December 24th, 2024, 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.”
The governor’s decision aligns with his powers under paragraphs (a), (c) and (d) of subsection (i) of Section 212 of Nigeria’s constitution.
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The convicts who benefitted from this decision are listed below:
RECOMMENDED FOR OUTRIGHT PARDON
S/NNAMENATURE OF OFFENCE1Olabomiji NurudeenSimple offence2Mustapha IsahSimple offence3Olalekan AbdullahiSimple offence4Ayomide OlojedeSimple offence5Akeem RaphaelSimple offence6Adeyemi AbiodunSimple offence7Oladipupo SegunSimple offence8Omisakin SundaySimple offence9Ademola AdioSimple offence10Tunde OlapadeSimple offence11Late Chief Wole Ola Rufus OjoSimple offence12Omoloye Olajide OlayemiSimple offence
RECOMMENDED FOR OUTRIGHT RELEASE
S/NNAMENATURE OF OFFENCE1Olubo SundaySimple offence2Isah Umar BiodunSimple offence3Fawas KareemSimple offence4Omirin TemitayoSimple offence5Olanrewaju AyomideSimple offence6Dare SundaySimple offence7Oladapo TundeSimple offence8Ganiyu SaheedSimple offence9Adewumi SodiqSimple offence10Adebayo Adeoye KehindeSimple offence11Lasis KazeemSimple offence12Dauda Ojo (59 years)Simple offence13Ismaila RajiSimple offence14Oseni MichaelSimple offence15Ajayi KoredeSimple offence16Abiona NurudeenSimple offence17Oshi SamuelSimple offence18Sheu Yusuf OlatunjiSimple offence19Ojo AanuSimple offence20Mustapha KehindeSimple offence21Lasis AbeebSimple offence22Alexandra IorlahaSimple offence23Ojo TaiwoSimple offenceSimple offence24Azeez MujeebSimple offence25Akinyemi DavidSimple offence26Adeosun AdekunleSimple offence27Olaobaju SamuelSimple offence28Adura AdefemiSimple offence29Paul BasilSimple offence30Kunle DavidSimple offence
RECOMMENDED FOR OUTRIGHT PARDON FOR GOOD CONDUCT
S/NNAMENATURE OF OFFENCE1Sunday MorakinyoCapital offence2Segun OlowookereCapital offence3Tunde OlapadeCapital offence4Demola OdeyemiCapital offence
RECOMMENDED FOR OUTRIGHT RELEASE ON HEALTH GROUND
S/NNAMENATURE OF OFFENCE1Olawafemi FagbemiCapital offence2Bewaji SundayCapital offence3Amehin GeorgeCapital offence4Ayomide ArulogunCapital offence5Taiwo Oluwatobi StephenCapital offence6Abubakar AbdulazeezCapital offence
COMMUTED FROM DEATH TO 15 YEARS IMPRISONMENT
S/NNAMENATURE OF OFFENCE1Ojekunle TimothyHe was recommended to be commuted from death sentence to 15 years imprisonment after having spent 10 years in prison
FIJ reported on Sunday how the police transferred Olowookere from Okuku to the state capital before his parents could raise a bail demand of N30,000, leading to his arraignment and eventual conviction in 2014.
Olowookere maintained his innocence throughout his prosecution, sentencing and incarceration.
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