JUST IN: Facts Have Been Maliciously Represented – Osun Court Speaks On Death Sentence For Fowl Theft

The Osun State High Court has debunked claims that it sentenced a man to death for stealing a fowl. Speaking via a statement titled “Setting the Record Straight”, dated December 20 and signed by its Chief Registrar, Omisade F.I, the court stated that such claims were baseless and intended to malign the judiciary and its officials.....Click Here To Read Full Article >>

Naija News recalls that media reports claimed that one Olowookere Segun was sentenced to death for stealing a fowl, a narrative the court strongly refuted, tagging them as “mischievous and misleading.” Reacting to the allegation, the court said, “Our attention has been drawn to the news making the rounds about a young man, Olowookere Segun, who was sentenced to death on 17th December 2014 by an Osun State High Court, Ikirun Judicial Division presided over by His Lordship, Hon. Justice S.O. Falola. “The facts of the case have been distorted and maliciously misrepresented to thegenerality of the people.

What has been laid before the public domain is that this boy was convicted and sentenced to death for stealing one fowl.”
The judiciary described the reports as the work of “mischief-makers,” who have demonstrated “an abysmal level of intellectual bankruptcy.”
It explained that the law mandated a death sentence for armed robbery when the accused is proven to have used a lethal weapon.

“An educated person does not need to be a lawyer before being well-informed to know as a fact that a person cannot be sentenced to death for stealing a fowl, not even one billion naira, without being armed at the time of committing the crime,” the statement continued.

Providing clarity on the case, the court explained that Olowookere Segun and his accomplice, Morakinyo Sunday, were arrested in April 2010 for series of armed robberies, including an armed robbery at a poultry in Oyan town of Osun State. Weapons were recovered from the suspects, who also confessed to their crimes.

“They were charged before the High Court of Justice, Ikirun Judicial Division… After a full trial which lasted from 11th February 2013 to 17th December 2014, they were found guilty and convicted of armed robbery,” the court stated.

The judiciary emphasised that the trial judge followed the law in delivering the mandatory death sentence for armed robbery while also recommending the convicts for clemency.

“The trial judge, in His Lordship’s characteristic magnanimity, large heart, and fatherly disposition, did what the law prescribed and went further to recommend them for mercy of the Governor,” the statement read.

The court urged the public to avoid spreading misinformation and to respect the integrity of the judiciary.