Metro
Why I Was Sentenced To Death – Osun ‘boy’ convicted of fowl theft
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Segun Olowookere, sentenced to death in Osun State for allegedly stealing fowls as a teenager, has shared his account of the events that led to his conviction.
Arrested in November 2010 at the age of 17 alongside Sunday Morakinyo, Olowookere was accused of robbing a policeman, Tope Balogun, of two fowls and eggs in Oyan, Odo-Otin Local Government Area.
The pair was arraigned on January 30, 2013, before Justice Jide Falola of the Osun State High Court in Ikirun.
The charges included robbery, conspiracy, and theft. Prosecutors alleged that they had also conspired to rob Oguntade Faramade of items worth N20,000, stolen two mobile phones from Balogun Taye, and attempted to rob Alhaja Umani Oyewo in her home. They were further accused of using weapons, including a cutlass and a Dane gun, to rob Elizabeth Dare of vegetable oil.
Despite his pleas of innocence, his ordeal worsened due to his family’s inability to raise the N30,000 bail demanded by the police.
While both men pleaded not guilty, the prosecution presented six witnesses, including alleged victims and police officers, who testified against them.
A confessional statement purportedly made by Olowookere to the police was pivotal to the case, though he denied ever writing it.
His lawyer, Ayo Omolesho, argued that the case lacked sufficient evidence, emphasizing that Olowookere was not apprehended at the crime scene.
Despite this, the court convicted them, sentencing them on December 17, 2014, to death for conspiracy, life imprisonment for robbery, and three years for theft. Olowookere was 21 at the time.
In a recent interview, Olowookere described his journey to incarceration, alleging police misconduct and coercion.
He recounted that in April 2010, while discussing his university admission plans with his father at their shop, police officers stormed the area and arrested him after an initial attempt to detain his father.
He said, “I was at my father’s shop in Oyan after returning from school. My dad and I were discussing my university admission and suddenly, we heard gunshots, and everybody ran away except my dad and a few others.
“My father was taken to a police van where there were some children. I was peeping out and could hear and see what was going on. The police asked my dad where I was and he asked them what my offence was. When they couldn’t give him a satisfactory response, my father shouted at the top of his voice that I should run away because the police wanted to arrest me.
“But I was wondering what my offence was. So, I came out and went to meet them. I was detained at the police post in Oyan, and was taken to Okuku Divisional Police Headquarters the following day. I met the children who were in the police van when they came for me sitting on the ground and eating rice.”
Olowookere claimed he was tortured into submission and falsely accused by minors who were also arrested but later released.
He said, “The DPO told me that one of the children confessed to stealing two broilers and some crates of eggs. I met the broilers and the eggs at the station. The children were eight in number. He told me the children said I was their gang leader, which I denied.
“The children he was talking about were around 12 and 13 years old, while I was 17 then. I told him I knew the children but I didn’t have anything to do with them other than greeting them in the community.”
He denied knowing Morakinyo or participating in any criminal activities.
“I met Sunday Morakinyo at the station and he told the police that he didn’t know me, nor had anything to do with me. I don’t even know where he was arrested. All the children were released but Morakinyo and I were not.
“We were seriously tortured from the first day I got to the Okuku Police Station under the supervision of the DPO. The children who allegedly committed the crime were not beaten. He repeatedly asked me to admit and confess to a crime I didn’t commit.
“After some days, we were given cutlasses to cut the grass at the police station premises despite having injuries on every part of our body as a result of the torture.”
He also refuted reports suggesting he had written a confessional statement or lived in a luxury apartment, asserting that he lived with his parents at the time of his arrest.
“I never wrote any statement to the police. My parents never had a flat, not to mention a six-bedroom flat. I lived with my parents until I was arrested,” he stated.
Asked why his lawyer didn’t object to the statement during the trial, Olowookere said, “I didn’t know anything, but I am sure I didn’t write any statement.”
Reacting to Olowookere’s case, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has directed the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, to investigate the matter and explore options for a pardon. In a statement on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Adeleke assured the public of his commitment to justice and equity.
“I have instructed a thorough review and expedited action on granting prerogative mercy to the young man. Osun is a land of fairness and justice, and we will ensure that every citizen’s rights are protected,” Adeleke said.
The case has sparked widespread concern, with many calling for a review of the judicial process that led to Olowookere’s conviction and sentencing.
Metro
One Dead As Police Foil Abuja Kidnapping Operation, Rescue Four
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has rescued four residents abducted during a kidnapping attack in the Yellow House area of Mpape, Abuja, following a gun battle with suspected kidnappers in the Jikoko Hills.
The Command, however, confirmed that one resident was killed during the attack, while another who sustained a gunshot wound is responding to treatment in hospital.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday.
According to the statement, the incident occurred at about 10:40 p.m. on Wednesday when the command received a distress call that armed kidnappers had invaded the Yellow House area of Mpape and abducted four residents.
Following the report, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Ahmed Sanusi, immediately deployed operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, personnel from the Katampe and Mpape Divisions, as well as officers of the 24 Police Mobile Force Squadron to rescue the victims.
Adeh said preliminary investigations showed that the attackers shot two residents before fleeing with four hostages through the Jikoko Hills towards the Ushafa Forest.
“Upon their arrival, preliminary findings revealed that the assailants had shot two victims before fleeing the scene. It was also discovered that the assailants had taken four other victims hostage from a nearby area whom they forcefully marched through Jikoko Hills towards Ushafa Forest,” she said.
She added that the injured victims were rushed to a hospital, where one of them, identified only as Mr. Babangida, was confirmed dead, while the second victim, who sustained a gunshot wound to the leg, is responding positively to treatment.
The police spokesperson said operatives sustained the pursuit of the kidnappers from the night of the attack until the early hours of Friday when they intercepted the suspects around Jikoko Hills.
She said, “The operatives maintained relentless pursuit of the kidnappers from the night of the incident till Friday, 10th July, 2026, when they located the kidnappers at approximately 12:05 a.m. around Jikoko Hills heading towards Ushafa Forest with the hostages.”
According to her, the kidnappers opened fire on sighting the advancing police team, resulting in a fierce exchange of gunfire.
“Demonstrating superior tactical capability, the operatives overwhelmed the suspects, forcing them to abandon the hostages and flee deeper into the surrounding hills and forest in a desperate attempt to evade arrest,” Adeh stated.
She confirmed that all four abducted victims were rescued unharmed, evacuated from the forest and reunited with their families.
The spokesperson added that security operatives were continuing the manhunt for the fleeing suspects.
The Commissioner of Police assured residents that the command remained committed to apprehending those behind the attack and bringing them to justice.
“He further urges members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons or activities to the nearest Police Station or through the FCT Police Command emergency lines,” the statement added.
Metro
DJ Chicken to relax in Kirikiri prison for threatening to k!ll Seyi Tinubu
Ademola Abiodun, popularly known as DJ Chicken, was on Friday arraigned before a Magistrate’s Court in Ogba, Lagos, over allegations of issuing a death threat against Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu.
DJ Chicken was brought before Magistrate M.F. Onamusi on a three-count charge bordering on alleged threat to kill, conduct likely to cause a breach of peace, and offences under the Cybercrime Act.
According to the prosecution, the charges arose from a video posted on the content creator’s social media platforms last week in which he allegedly threatened Seyi Tinubu while commenting on the 2027 presidential election.
The prosecution told the court that the video contained statements interpreted as a threat to kill Seyi Tinubu, contrary to the provisions of the Criminal Law of Lagos State and the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
Following public reaction to the video, DJ Chicken posted another video in which he withdrew the remarks, describing them as a joke intended to attract public attention.
He stated that he had no intention of harming Seyi Tinubu and said the comments were part of content creation.
Despite the retraction, the state proceeded with criminal charges against him.
The first count alleges that the defendant posted a video containing a threat to kill Seyi Tinubu through his social media accounts, an offence punishable under Section 232 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The second count accuses him of transmitting a grossly offensive and menacing message through a computer network, contrary to Section 24 of the Cybercrime Act, 2015.
The third count alleges that his conduct was likely to cause a breach of the peace and was intended to intimidate or embarrass Seyi Tinubu, contrary to Section 168(d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
DJ Chicken pleaded not guilty to all three charges.
Magistrate M.F. Onamusi admitted him to bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in like sum.
The court ruled that one of the sureties must be a government employee, while the second must be a recognised community leader with landed property in Lagos State.
Both sureties are also required to provide evidence of three years’ tax clearance, Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) identification, National Identification Number (NIN), and recent utility bills.
In addition, one of the sureties must be a blood relation of the defendant.
Pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions, the magistrate ordered that DJ Chicken be remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
The case was adjourned until August 3, 2026, for further proceedings.
Metro
Man who slashed his manhood set it ablaze back in the street
An Indiana man accused of severing his own penis and setting it on fire has been released on bail after being charged with felony arson.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, 43-year-old American citizen, Christopher Peden was released after posting a $10,000 bond. As part of his bail conditions, he must remain in Indiana unless he receives court approval to travel outside the state.
Investigators said officers recovered several items from the scene, including the remains of a red plastic gasoline container, four BIC lighters and a knife. Court records did not indicate that the severed body part was collected as evidence. Police allege that Peden told officers he used a kitchen knife to sever his penis at around 2 a.m. before pouring gasoline on it and setting it alight inside a garage.
Emergency services were dispatched to the property following reports of a stabbing. Police and firefighters responded to the scene, where the incident is said to have occurred in a garage belonging to the property’s owners.
Peden is expected to appear in court as proceedings continue in the felony arson case. Authorities have not disclosed additional details about his medical condition or the circumstances surrounding the incident.
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