The Osun State chapter of the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, CDHR, has called on Nigerians to pressure the Ademola Adeleke administration to urgently rehabilitate the fifty-two inmates he pardoned in December 2024.
The call is coming after reports by a news outlet that Sunday Omisakin, one out of the 53 inmates pardoned by Governor Adeleke returned to crime and is presently remanded at the Ilesa Correctional Service facility.
It was gathered that on Friday, January 3, 2025, Omisakin was arrested for breaking into a building and he is now facing a two-count charge of stealing and burglary.
DAILY POST recalls that Governor Adeleke pardoned 53 inmates in December 2024 exercising his prerogative of mercy.
Two out of the 53 inmates pardoned by Governor Adeleke were Segun Olowookere and Sunday Morakinyo, who had been sentenced to death for theft of fowl and eggs more than a decade ago.
Out of the 53 inmates pardoned, one returned to crime and is currenttly remanded at the Ilesha Correctional Service.
The Osun CDHR made this call in a statement by its Chairman, Emmanuel Olowu on Monday in Òṣogbo.
The statement said, “on January 6, 2025, the CDHR formally communicated our concerns to Governor Adeleke, highlighting the potential risks associated with the release of these individuals without any form of rehabilitation even though the Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2015 and Osun State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2018 mandated a rehabilitation exercise for pardon prisoners.
“It should be noted that we copied crucial stakeholders: The Attorney General of Osun State, the Chief Judge of Osun State, the Controller of the Nigeria Correctional Service, NCS, Osun State Command, the National Directorate of Employment, NDE, Osun State, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency in Nigeria, SMEDAN, Osun State, the Network of NGOs in Osun, NETNOS, and the Osun Civil Societies Coalition, with the intent that all stakeholders will pressure the Osun State Government to commence the rehabilitation process.
“Regrettably, to date, there has been no response from Governor Adeleke regarding our letter, which poses a great danger to the society and the image of the Osun State Government as a whole.
“The appeal is highlighted by a recent incident involving one of the pardoned convicts, Sunday Omisakin, who, on January 3, 2025, was arrested for breaking into a building; he is now facing a two-count charge of stealing and burglary and has been remanded at the Ilesha Correctional Service. This incident illustrates the urgent need for effective rehabilitation of the remaining Five-Two pardon inmates as that remains the only means to prevent re-offence and ensure community safety.
“The CDHR urges relevant stakeholders to actively pressure the Osun State Government to prioritize the rehabilitation of those pardoned now and create intervention programs that will address the underlying issues leading them into criminal acts because failure to act will not only jeopardize public safety but reflect an omission of the responsibility that comes with granting pardons which PART 45 – PAROLE 46 section 468 sub-section 2 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2015 states.”