Parents of teenager, sentenced to death by Osun High Court, for stealing a fowl and eggs, have appealed to Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke for pardon
Segun Olowookere, who was 17 years old when he was condemned, is detained at Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison, Lagos State, awaiting the hangman’s noose.
He was said to have been sentenced to death by an Osun State High Court in Ikirun, Osun State.
Segun was accused of robbing a poultry farm in Oyan, located in Odo-Otin Local Government Area.
His parents have expressed their devastation, stating that he is their only son and pleading for his life to be spared.
His parents are appealing to Governor Adeleke for clemency.
They also reached out to the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, seeking his intervention in the matter.
Segun’s mother, Folashade Olowookere, has been particularly been in distress.
She pleaded with the governor to use his power of amnesty to grant her son a second chance.
According to her, the weight of the punishment far outweighed the crime committed, especially given the minimal value of the items involved.
“I want to plead with our amiable governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke to please use his office to release my son.
“We have sold our property to secure his release since he was convicted in 2014. He is a brilliant boy who has a brighter future ahead of him. We must not allow him to waste the peak of his life within the four walls of the prison.
“The Speaker of the House of Assembly is from our town, we also plead for his intervention in this case.
“Also, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice should also help us. Segun has a promising future and can be useful to society,” the mother pleaded.
Segun’s father, Olanrewaju Olowookere, who also pleaded for mercy for his son, said Segun was never involved in the crime.
The father claimed that his son was arrested in his shop while playing with some of his friends, saying the arrest was a setup.
He said, “At this point, all we need is the assistance of His Excellency, Governor Ademola Adeleke to grant amnesty to our son.
“We have been in grief since he was sentenced. We have not experienced any kind of happiness. Nobody will be happy seeing his only son in jail,” he said.