A 31-year-old man, Segun Olowokere, has been released from Kirikiri prison after 10 years of being on death row for armed robbery.
Mr Olowookere and his co-suspect, Sunday Morakinyo, were arrested in Oyan, Odo-Otin Local Government of Osun State in November 2010. They were arrested for armed robbery during which they stole hens and eggs.
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They were sentenced to death by the Osun State High Court, Ikirun Division, on 17 December 2014.
Their ordeal went viral recently during which some commentators questioned how they could have been sentenced to death for stealing hens and eggs.
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However, the Osun State judiciary on 26 December justified the death penalty imposed 10 years ago on Mr Olowokere and his accomplice. Speaking through the Chief Registrar of the Osun State High Court, F. I. Omisade, the state’s judiciary said the facts of the case had been distorted and maliciously misrepresented.
The court said its records showed that the two convicts had a history of robbery.
According to the chief registrar’s statement, both men “were going about in Oyan town and its neighbourhood robbing innocent and unsuspecting people at gunpoint.”
“Luck ran out on them in April 2010 when they were caught in action while robbing a poultry farm. Arms were recovered from them. They equally confessed to committing several armed robberies,” the statement added.
It added that the punishment prescribed by the law for such offences was hanging to death.
The chief registrar noted that Mr Olowokere was not underage when he committed the crime and was properly prosecuted. He said the convict was 19, not 17, then.
The statement did not indicate the current status of Mr Olowokere’s accomplice or whether he was still in prison.
Road to Freedom
Mr Olowokere’s parents, some human rights groups, and other Nigerians pleaded for his release, saying the judgement outweighed the offence.
Recently, his parents were seen in a podcast crying and pleading that their only child be pardoned.
The podcast is believed to have reached Governor Adesola Adeleke, who later pardoned Mr Olowokere and ordered his release.
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Recent development
Mr Olowokere was released on Monday.
Celebrating his release on her Instagram page, actress Abiola Adebayo shared a video she shot with him.
“This is Segun Olowokere. We are just leaving Kirikiri. He’s finally out of the correctional centre,” she said.
“Thank you so much for the love we get. Thank you so much for the support.”
She also thanked the Osun governor and appealed to Nigerians to support Mr Olowokere with a job and gifts.
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