Osun State – Segun Olowookere, a young man whose life took a drastic turn after being sentenced to death for allegedly stealing a fowl, has opened up about his painful experience involving his arrest, detention, and subsequent conviction.

Olowookere, who was just 17 years old at the time of his arrest in 2010, recounted the events leading to his dramatic legal battle. The incident occurred in November 2010 when he and another suspect, Sunday Morakinyo, were detained in Oyan, located within Osun State’s Odo-Otin Local Government Area. They faced serious charges including the alleged theft of two fowls and eggs from a police officer, Tope Balogun, along with additional claims of robbing various individuals.

The allegations against Olowookere and Morakinyo included conspiracies that entailed stealing items valued at N20,000 from Oguntade Faramade and swiping mobile phones from Balogun Taye. There were also claims related to an attempted robbery involving Elizabeth Dare and a violent encounter involving armed individuals and stolen vegetable oil.

During their arraignment on January 30, 2013, at the Osun State High Court in Ikirun, both men pleaded not guilty. However, Olowookere reportedly made a confessional statement to the police, acknowledging the crimes.

In a recent interview with PUNCH, Olowookere recounted the harrowing details of his arrest. He was in his father’s shop discussing his university admission when chaos ensued due to gunfire. While others fled, his father was taken away by the police, who were searching for Olowookere. Confused by the sudden turn of events, he approached the police to understand the issue but was taken into custody.

Olowookere explained that he was falsely accused of being the ringleader of a group of young children, aged 12 and 13, who allegedly committed the theft. He vehemently denied these accusations and described how he was subjected to torture to elicit a confession.

“When I arrived at the station, I met Sunday Morakinyo, who stated he didn’t know me or have any connection to the crime. All the other children were released, yet both Morakinyo and I remained detained,” Olowookere recounted.

He described his experience in the police custody as one of severe maltreatment. “We were tortured from the moment I was taken to the Okuku Police Station, despite our innocence. The children who allegedly committed the crime were untouched,” he claimed.

Olowookere also revealed that the police initially offered to release him on bail for N30,000, a sum his father could only partially provide. After his father left to find the full amount, Olowookere was transferred to the SARS office in Osogbo before his father could return. Tools provided to him and Morakinyo for cutting grass were later used as evidence against them in court.

After spending 17 days in SARS detention, both men were arraigned in magistrate court on robbery charges, subsequently leading to their transfer to the High Court, where Olowookere faced a death sentence.

Reflecting on his traumatic journey, Olowookere insists on his innocence and expresses sorrow over the systemic injustices that resulted in his conviction.