Osun Court Debunks Claims of Death Sentence for Fowl Theft

The Osun State High Court has refuted viral reports claiming that a young man was sentenced to death for stealing a fowl. In a statement issued on December 20, titled “Setting the Record Straight,” and signed by the court’s Chief Registrar, Omisade F.I., the court clarified the facts surrounding the case.

Recent media reports had claimed that Olowookere Segun was sentenced to death for stealing a fowl, a narrative the court strongly rejected, labeling the reports as “mischievous and misleading.”

The court’s statement noted that the claims were baseless and designed to tarnish the reputation of the judiciary. “Our attention has been drawn to the news making the rounds about a young man, Olowookere Segun, who was sentenced to death on December 17, 2014, by the Osun State High Court, Ikirun Judicial Division, presided over by Hon. Justice S.O. Falola,” the statement said. “The facts of the case have been distorted and maliciously misrepresented.”

The judiciary condemned the false reports, describing them as the work of “mischief-makers” and accusing them of “an abysmal level of intellectual bankruptcy.” The statement clarified that the law mandates a death sentence for armed robbery, but only if the accused is proven to have used a lethal weapon during the crime.

The court pointed out that a person cannot be sentenced to death for stealing a fowl, regardless of its value, unless armed during the crime. It further explained that Olowookere Segun and his accomplice, Morakinyo Sunday, were arrested in April 2010 for a series of armed robberies, including one at a poultry in Oyan town, Osun State. Weapons were recovered from the suspects, who also confessed to their involvement in the crimes.

Olowookere Segun and Morakinyo Sunday were charged with armed robbery and, after a full trial that lasted from February 2013 to December 2014, were convicted. The court clarified that Segun was 19 years old at the time of his arrest, contrary to claims that he was 17, while Sunday was 18 years old.

The statement further explained that the trial judge, in line with the law, handed down the mandatory death sentence for armed robbery, but also recommended both convicts for clemency. “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 from the Governor,” the statement read.

The court urged the public to avoid spreading misinformation and to respect the integrity of the judiciary, emphasizing that justice serves both the accused and the victims of crime. It concluded by warning against efforts to discredit the judiciary and its officials, calling such actions “presumptuous and malicious.”