The Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has extended the prerogative of mercy to 53 convicts, including a late convict, as well as two death row inmates whose case recently sparked widespread interest on social media, among them Segun Olowokere and Sunday Morakinyo who were sentenced to death by the Osun State High Court in December 2014 for stealing a fowl and armed robbery.
Penpushing reports that Adeleke made the announcement in a statement posted on his verified X handle on Thursday explaining his decision to show mercy to the 53 inmates, some of whom had their sentences commuted to lesser penalties.
The Governor said he extended prerogative of mercy in line with the recommendations of the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy and in exercise of the power conferred on him by paragraph (a), (c) and (d) of subsection (i) of section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
“I am pleased to extend my grace and mercy unto 53 convicts serving various convictions within the Nigerian Correctional Service. In line with the recommendations of the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy and in exercise of the power conferred on me by paragraph (a), (c) and (d) of subsection (i) of section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).”
Penpushing further reports that the prerogative of mercy refers to the power to grant clemency to convicted individuals in certain circumstances, and in Nigeria, it’s a constitutional power held by the President for federal offences and by the state’s governor for state offences.
This power tempers the rigidity of the law and is only exercised in rare and exceptional circumstances, while it’s not a general avenue of appeal, and it does not acquit the individual, but instead, it relieves the effects of a conviction without removing them.
Penpushing also reports that the Chief Press Secretary of the Governor Olawale Rasheed gave list of beneficiaries as include Olabomiji Nurudeen, Mustapha Isah, Olalekan Abdullahi, Ayomide Olojede, Akeem Raphael, Adeyemi Abiodun, Oladipupo Segun, Omisakin Sunday, Ademola Adio, Tunde Olapade, late Chief Wole Ola, Rufus Ojo and Omoloye Olajide Olayemi, all of them recommended for outright pardon.
The convicts recommended for outright release are Olubo Sunday, Isah Umar Biodun, Fawas Kareem, Omirin Temitayo, Olarenwaju Ayomide, Dare Sunday, Oladapo Tunde, Ganiyu Saheed, Adewumi Sodiq, Adebayo Adeoye Kehinde, Lasisi Kazeem, Dauda Ojo, Ismaila Raji, Oseni Micheal, Ajayi Korede, Abiona Nurudeen, Oshi Samuel, Sheu Yusuf Olatunji, Ojo Aanu, Mustapha Kehinde, Lasisi Abeeb, Alexandra Iorlaha, Ojo Taiwo, Azeez Mujeeb, Akinyemi David, Adeosun Adekunle, Olaobaju Samuel, Adura Adefemi, Paul Basil and Kunle David
The convicts recommended for outright pardon for good conduct (capital offences) include Sunday Morakinyo, Segun Olowookere, Tunde Olapade and Demola Odeyemi, while those recommended for outright release on health ground, include Oluwafemi Fagbemi, Bewaji Sunday, Amehin George, Ayomide Arulogun, Taiwo Oluwatobi Stephen, Abubakar Abdulazeez
Penpushing reports that a convict recommended to be commuted from death to 15 years imprisonment having spent at least 10 years in custody is Ojekunle Timothy
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