Osun Court Speaks On Alleged Death Sentence For Fowl Theft

The Osun State High Court has dismissed viral reports claiming that a young man was sentenced to death for stealing a fowl.

“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 statement read.

“The facts of the case have been distorted and maliciously misrepresented to the generality 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 court noted.

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.

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To clarify the case, the court stated that Olowookere Segun and his accomplice, Morakinyo Sunday, were apprehended in April 2010 in connection with a series of armed robberies, including a robbery at a poultry farm in Oyan town, Osun State. Weapons were seized from the suspects, who also admitted to their involvement in the 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 court further clarified that Olowookere Segun was 19 years old at the time of his arrest, contrary to claims that he was 17. The second accused, Morakinyo Sunday, was 18 years old.

“The said Olowookere Segun, the first accused person in suit No. HKK/2C/2012, being of 17 years old at the time of the trial which has been blown out of proportion is nothing but nauseating falsehood. He was in fact 19 years old at the time he was arrested and made to stand trial,” the court explained.

The judiciary emphasized that the trial judge adhered to the law in imposing the mandatory death sentence for armed robbery, while simultaneously recommending clemency for the convicts.

“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 refrain from spreading misinformation and to uphold the integrity of the judiciary.

“All itinerant commentators should always note that justice is not a one-way traffic. It is a time-hallowed saying in legal parlance that justice is for the accused, for the victim of the crime, and for the society at large,” the judiciary added.

The statement concluded by warning against attempts to disparage the judiciary and its officials, calling such actions “presumptuous and malicious.”