Osun Court Denies Sentencing Man to Death for Stealing Fowl

The Osun State High Court has dismissed widespread reports claiming it sentenced a young man, Olowookere Segun, to death for stealing a fowl. In a statement titled “Setting the Record Straight”, dated December 20 and signed by the Chief Registrar, Omisade F.I., the court described the claims as baseless and maliciously fabricated to tarnish the judiciary’s reputation.

Media reports alleged that Segun had been sentenced to death by the Ikirun Judicial Division of the High Court on December 17, 2014. However, the court clarified that Segun and his accomplice, Morakinyo Sunday, were convicted of armed robbery—not theft of a fowl.

“The facts of the case have been grossly distorted and maliciously misrepresented. The narrative that this individual was sentenced to death for stealing a fowl is mischievous and misleading,” the statement read.

The judiciary emphasized that death sentences are imposed only in cases involving armed robbery when it is proven that a lethal weapon was used during the crime. The court criticized the reports as demonstrating “intellectual bankruptcy,” highlighting that no legal system could justify such a sentence for petty theft.

The case involved a series of armed robberies, including an incident at a poultry farm in Oyan, Osun State, where the convicts used weapons and later confessed to their crimes. Following a trial from February 2013 to December 2014, both men were found guilty and sentenced according to the law.

The court also corrected inaccuracies about Segun’s age, stating he was 19 years old at the time of his arrest, contrary to claims that he was 17.

“The assertion that Segun was 17 years old is nothing but nauseating falsehood. He was 19 when he was arrested and tried,” the statement clarified.

While delivering the mandatory death sentence, the trial judge, Hon. Justice S.O. Falola, recommended the convicts for clemency, showcasing what the court described as a “fatherly disposition.”

The judiciary urged the public to avoid spreading misinformation and respect the integrity of the judicial process. It also warned against efforts to malign the judiciary, labeling such actions as “presumptuous and malicious.”

“Justice is not a one-way traffic. It serves the accused, the victim, and society at large. Attempts to disparage the judiciary will not be condoned,” the statement concluded.