Metro
Why I Was Sentenced To Death – Osun ‘boy’ convicted of fowl theft
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.
Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers on Tuesday attacked an Abuja-bound bus belonging to GUO Transport Company along the Akunu axis of Ondo State.
The suspected kidnappers injured some passengers and left the vehicle riddled with bullet holes.
SaharaReporters obtained a disturbing video from the scene showing the aftermath of the attack.
Bullet holes riddled the body of the vehicle, and blood was visibly splattered across the front seats, indicating that some passengers were injured during the ambush.
“Make I come make them bring tyre out there. I thank God nothing happened to me. You no see wetin bullet do this place (Let us bring the tyre out of there. I thank God nothing happened to me. Can you see how they damaged the vehicle with bullets?),” the driver said in the video, pointing to damage on the bus caused by bullets.
The attack reportedly occurred between Akunu in Ondo State and Ayere in neighbouring Kogi State, an area notorious for frequent bandit and kidnapper activity, despite regular police checkpoints in the region.
“Kidnappers open fire on Abuja bound GUO bus shortly after driving about 3 minutes passing a police checking point Akunu in Ondo, before Ayare in Kogi state,” an X user who claimed to be privy to the development added.
One passenger could be heard urging others to re-enter the bus so the exhausted driver could rest.
When SaharaReporters contacted GUO Transport through its official WhatsApp line for comment, the company’s automated response said: “Thank you for contacting GUO Transport. We’d love to help, but we’re currently off work hours. We’ll attend to all enquiries in the next working hour.”
As of the time of filing this report, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, Funmilayo Odunlami, had yet to respond to multiple calls and follow-up messages seeking comment.
A devastating fire that broke out early Tuesday morning has reportedly destroyed at least 55 shops in the herbal medicine section of the Zamfara Central Market.
This incident follows a similar fire just six weeks ago, which also ravaged more than 100 shops in the same market.
The fire, which began around 1:00 AM, is still under investigation, and the exact cause remains undetermined. There are, however, suspicions that the blaze may have been triggered by flammable herbs stored in some of the affected shops, although no official conclusions have been reached.
Alhaji Sa’adu Dahiru, the chairman of the affected section, confirmed the scale of the damage and described the incident as catastrophic. “The fire also destroyed shops belonging to blouse and seasoning sellers,” he explained. “I know some of our members who have lost everything. These people have families to care for and depend on this business for their livelihood.”
Dahiru shared a poignant story of one of the traders who had stored ₦50,000 in his shop, intending to deposit it in the bank on Tuesday, but the money was destroyed in the fire along with his goods. He called on the state government to provide financial support for those affected. “I am appealing to the state government to look into our plight and offer us assistance,” he added.
Alhaji Ahmad Salihu Shinkafi, the Managing Director of the market, said the management is still probing the fire’s cause. He noted that some traders suggested that the blaze might have been sparked by a herb that is sensitive to excessive heat, which can cause it to explode. “We are still investigating to determine the exact cause of the fire,” he said.
Shinkafi also highlighted the preventive measures that had been implemented in the market, including a ban on the use of fire within the premises. “We don’t allow tea sellers, food vendors, or others who use fire near the market,” he explained. “So, only God knows what caused this inferno.”
As the victims assess their losses and call for government intervention, this incident underscores the growing concern over recurring fire disasters in markets across northern Nigeria, highlighting the need for improved safety measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
A 35-year-old man, Gaddafi Isah, and Badamasi Isah, aged 30, have been beaten to death by a mob over the suspected theft of livestock at Katsayal village in the Sandamu Local Government Area of Katsina State.
A counter-insurgency expert focused on the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, made this known in a post on his X handle on Monday.
According to him, intelligence sources revealed that the two victims had driven their father’s vehicle to the outskirts of the village to learn to drive.
He stated that, in the process of the practice, a mob approached and accused them of stealing livestock.
He added that the mob surrounded the two men and beat them severely, causing them to sustain varying degrees of injuries.
“The victims were rescued by the security forces who were deployed to the scene and rushed to the Community Health Centre in Sandamu for treatment, but they were later confirmed dead by a medical doctor,” he posted.
He also disclosed that the vehicle the deceased victims were driving was also damaged during the attack.
He noted that the police had launched an investigation into the incident, and efforts were underway to apprehend the perpetrators responsible for the attack.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the state police command, Abubakar Aliyu, did not respond to calls made to his telephone line.
A text message sent had yet to be replied to as of the time this report was filed.
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