A Nigerian man who spent a decade on death row for stealing chickens and eggs is set to be pardoned by the governor of Osun State.
Segun Olowookere was just 17 years old when he and an accomplice, Morakinyo Sunday, were arrested in 2010 for breaking into the home of a police officer armed with a wooden gun and a sword. Their heist yielded only poultry, but in 2014, Justice Jide Falola of the Osun State High Court sentenced both men to death by hanging, sparking nationwide outrage over the severity of the punishment.
The duo was transferred to the notorious Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison in Lagos, where they languished on death row for years. Human rights groups and Olowookere’s parents consistently advocated for his release, even appearing on a podcast to plead for their only child’s pardon.
On Tuesday, Governor Ademola Adeleke announced he had directed the state’s Commissioner for Justice to begin the process of granting Olowookere a pardon. “Osun is a land of justice and equity. We must ensure fairness and protection of the sanctity of lives,” Adeleke said in a statement posted on X.
Olowookere is expected to regain his freedom by early 2025. However, the fate of Morakinyo Sunday, who was sentenced alongside him, remains unclear as his name was not mentioned in the governor’s statement.
Although Nigeria has not carried out an execution since 2012, over 3,400 individuals remain on death row across the country.
