Alleged Death Sentence For Fowl Theft: Court Explains

The Osun State High Court has strongly rejected claims that it sentenced a man to death for stealing a fowl.

In a statement titled “Setting the Record Straight,” issued on December 20 and signed by its Chief Registrar, Omisade F.I., the court clarified that the reports were completely false and intended to harm the reputation of the judiciary and its officials.

The controversy arose from media reports that claimed a man named Olowookere Segun had been sentenced to death for fowl theft. The court described these claims as “mischievous and misleading.” The statement explained, “Our attention has been drawn to the news making the rounds about a young man, Olowookere Segun, who was sentenced to death on 17th December 2014 by an Osun State High Court, Ikirun Judicial Division presided over by His Lordship, Hon. Justice S.O. Falola.” The court further stated that the facts of the case had been distorted and misrepresented.

The judiciary accused the reports of being the work of “mischief-makers” with a “lack of intellectual integrity.” The statement went on to explain the legal context, saying that a person can only be sentenced to death for armed robbery if a lethal weapon is used in the crime. “An educated person does not need to be a lawyer before being well-informed to know as a fact that a person cannot be sentenced to death for stealing a fowl, not even one billion naira, without being armed at the time of committing the crime,” the statement read.

To clarify the situation, the court provided details about the actual case. Olowookere Segun and his accomplice, Morakinyo Sunday, were arrested in April 2010 for a series of armed robberies, including a robbery at a poultry in Oyan town, Osun State. Weapons were recovered from the suspects, who also confessed to their involvement in the crimes. The two were charged and tried for armed robbery, and after a full trial that lasted from February 2013 to December 2014, they were found guilty.

The court also noted that Olowookere Segun was 19 years old at the time of his arrest, contrary to reports that claimed he was 17. His accomplice, Morakinyo Sunday, was 18. The judiciary emphasized that the trial judge adhered to the law by imposing the mandatory death sentence for armed robbery. However, the judge also recommended the 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 of the Governor,” the statement explained.

The court concluded by urging the public to refrain from spreading false information and to respect the integrity of the judiciary.

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