Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has intervened in the case of a teenager from the state, Segun Olowookere, who was convicted and sentenced to death for stealing a fowl.
The ICIR reports that Olowookere was sentenced in 2010 and has spent 14 years in prison. He was 17 years old when he was sentenced to death for stealing a fowl and eggs from a poultry farm in Oyan, Odo-Otin Local Government of the state.
In a post on his X handle on Tuesday, December 17, Adeleke said he had ordered the state commissioner of justice to look into the matter.
“I have received the report of a case of a young man reportedly sentenced to death by hanging in Osun State for stealing a fowl. Consequently, I have directed the attorney general and commissioner for justice, Osun State, to commence a full investigation into the matter and initiate processes to grant the prerogative of mercy to the young man.
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“Osun is a land of justice and equity and must ensure fairness and protection of the sanctity of lives. I assure members of the public that this matter is receiving my direct attention with every sense of urgency also attached to our response to the matter,” he tweeted.
Earlier in a statement, Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed stated that the governor directed the state’s attorney general to investigate the case and ensure the man is pardoned before this year ends.
The boy’s parents have been pleading with Governor Adeleke to grant their son amnesty, arguing that the punishment is too harsh.
They have also been appealing to the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, to intervene in the matter.
The parents were said to be devastated, as Segun is their only son.
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