Relief finally came to Sunday Morakinyo and Segun Olowookere, who were condemned to death by hanging for stealing a fowl and eggs in Osun State a few months ago, as the state governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, granted them outright pardon on Thursday.
The development was disclosed by the governor’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, in a statement in Osogbo.
According to him, 51 other inmates have also been pardoned, and the relevant agencies have since acknowledged receipt of the letters sent to them to this effect.
The statement read: “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), 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 in the schedule are as follows:
CONVICTS RECOMMENDED FOR OUTRIGHT PARDON (SIMPLE OFFENCES)
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
OMOLOYE OLAJIDE OLAYEMI
CONVICTS RECOMMENDED FOR OUTRIGHT RELEASE (SIMPLE OFFENCES)
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 (59 YEARS)
ISMAILA RAJI
OSENI MICHEAL
AJAYI KOREDE
ABIONA 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
KUNLE DAVID
CONVICTS RECOMMENDED FOR OUTRIGHT PARDON FOR GOOD CONDUCT (CAPITAL OFFENCES) – 4 (FOUR)
SUNDAY MORAKINYO
SEGUN OLOWOOKERE
TUNDE OLAPADE
DEMOLA ODEYEMI
CONVICTS RECOMMENDED FOR OUTRIGHT RELEASE ON HEALTH GROUNDS (CAPITAL OFFENCES)
OLUWAFEMI FAGBEMI
BEWAJI SUNDAY
AMEHIN GEORGE
AYOMIDE ARULOGUN
TAIWO OLUWATOBI STEPHEN
ABUBAKAR ABDULAZEEZ
CONVICT RECOMMENDED TO BE COMMUTED FROM DEATH TO 15 YEARS IMPRISONMENT HAVING SPENT AT LEAST 10 YEARS IN CUSTODY