Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has asked the authorities of the Nigeria Correctional Service to release Segun Olowookere and another convict, Sunday Morakinyo, immediately.
The governor, in the spirit of Christmas, also exercised prerogative of mercy towards eight other inmates of the prisons in the state who had been sentenced to death for capital offences.
Adeleke also granted mercy to thirty convicts who are serving different jail terms over simple offences.
A statement issued by Olawale Rasheed, spokesperson to the governor on Thursday, disclosed that the pardon was done in the spirit of Christmas.
The governor also pardoned a deceased convict, Late Chief Wole Ola Rufus Ojo.
The statement obtained by The Point 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 who benefited from the outright pardon for simple offences as contained in the schedule are: Olabomiji Nurudeen, Mustapha Isah, Olalekan Abdullahi, Ayomide Olojede, Akeem Raphael, Adeyemi Abiodun, Oladipupo Segun, Omisakin Sunday, Ademola Adio, Tunde Olapade, Late Chief Wole Ola Rufus Ojo, and Omoloye Olajide Oluyemi.
According to the statement, other convicts recommended for outright release over simple offences are Olubo Sunday, Isah Umar Biodun, Fawas Kareem, Omirin Temitayo, Olarenwaju Ayomide, Dare Sunday, Oladapo Tunde, Ganiyu Saheed, Adewumi Sodiq, Adebayo Adeoye Kehinde, Lasis Kazeem, Dauda Ojo, Isamaila Raji, Oseni Michael, Ajayi Korede, Abiodun Nurudeen, Oshi Samuel, Sheu Yusuf Olatunji, Ojo Aanu, Mustapha Kehinde, Lasis Abeeb, Alexandra Iorlaha, Ojo Taiwo, Azeez Mujeeb, Akinyemi David, Adeosun Adekunle, Olaobaju Samuel, Adura Adefemi, Paul Basil, and Kunle David.
Convicts recommended for outright pardon for good conduct (capital offences) are Sunday Morakinyo and Segun Olowookere who were sentenced to death by hanging for robbing a policeman of his fowl in Osun State. The two other freed convicts are Tunde Olapade and Demola Odeyemi.
Adeleke also recommended six convicts for outright release on health ground.
The convicts who have been imprisoned over capital offences are Oluwafemi Fagbemi, Bewaji Sunday, Amehin George, Ayomide Arulogun, Taiwo Oluwatobi Stephen and Abubakar Abdulazeez.
The governor recommended that one Ojekunle Timothy who was sentenced to death should now spend 15 more years in jail having spent ten years.
