The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi has said there is need for an urgent reform in the nation’s judicial system.
Obi made the call via his X handle on Friday while commending Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State for intervening in a controversial theft case involving Segun Olowookere,.
TheFactDaily gathered that Olowookere was sentenced to death by hanging in 2014 for stealing a fowl in Osun State.
Olowookere and Morakinyo Sunday were arrested for breaking into the homes of a police officer and another individual in 2010.
Justice Jide Falola of the Osun State High Court sentenced the duo to death by hanging after finding them guilty of forcibly entry.
However,Governor Adeleke directed
the state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to investigate the case and initiate processes for granting Olowookere a prerogative of mercy saying, “Osun is a land of justice and equity, and we must ensure fairness and protection of the sanctity of lives,”
Reacting to the development, the former Anambra State governor said,” like to commend Governor Ademola Adeleke for stepping in to prevent the inhumane punishment of death by hanging for the theft of a fowl and eggs—an offense for which the individual had already spent 14 years in prison.
“That sentence alone far exceeded the demands of justice, if the crime warranted such consideration in the first place.
“This case underscores the harsh inequalities of the Nigerian legal system. If you dare to speak freely, you are treated as a criminal and silenced. If you embezzle billions of public funds, you are celebrated, even when caught and taken to court.
” Yet, those pursuing honest, legitimate businesses are burdened by oppressive regulations and treated with suspicion, as though success through integrity is a crime.
“It is a system that rewards impunity while punishing integrity—a stark indictment of our need for urgent judicial reform and genuine accountability in governance,” he said.
