In a country where anything and everything can happen, in a country where those who stole billions of Naira are left unpunished, an Osun State High Court presided over by Justice Jide Falola, has sentenced two men to death for stealing fowls and eggs.
The two convicts, Olowookere Segun and Morakinyo Sunday, according to the evidence before the court, were found guilty of forcefully breaking into the house of one Balogun Tope, a police officer attached to Divisional Police headquarters, Okuku, in the state, in April 2010 and carting away some of his belongings including his fowls and eggs laid by the chickens.
The convicted men were charged with conspiracy, robbery and stealing contrary to Section 6(b) and 1(2)(a) of Robbery and Firearm (Special Provisions) Act, cap R 11 Laws of Federation of Nigeria 2004 and Section (390)(1) Criminal Code Law, Cap 34, Laws of Osun State, 2002.
The prosecution team, led by the state Solicitor-General, Mrs Abiola Adewemimo, called six witnesses and tendered several exhibits during the prosecution.
The prosecution told the court that on November 13, 2010, men were sighted around Balogun’s home armed with cutlass and a dane gun, and that while two of them were arrested, others escaped.
The convicts were said to have confessed that they stole the complainant’s fowls, adding that they had been in his house before to steal.
The prosecution stated that apart from the police man the convicts stole from, they had also robbed another woman of kegs of vegetable oil, eggs and broilers.
“They also stated that they had earlier robbed one Alhaja Umani Oyewo in her house and stole broilers, eggs and kegs of vegetable oil from the house.”
Delivering judgement, Justice Falola convicted the men on only three counts: to death for conspiracy; life sentence for robbery, and three years imprisonment for stealing.
Justice Falola recommended that the governor can decide to commute the death sentence to 10 years imprisonment, considering the convicts’ ages. This is a miscarriage of justice, the law in Nigeria surely does not treat the rich and the poor equally.
