The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has reacted to the conviction and death sentence levelled on an alleged fowl thief on Osun state.
OBI, in a post on X commended the state governor Ademola Adeleke for stepping in to prevent the punishment meted on the suspected thief by the court.
Recall that there had been outrage over the sentencing of Segun Olowookere and Morakinyo Sunday to death by hanging in December for stealing fowls in Osun.
While Governor Adeleke had stepped in to ensure the punishment on the convicts are reviewed, Obi said the sentencing by the court is inhumane.
According to the former governor of Anambra state, the sentence alone far exceeded the demands of justice, if the crime warranted such consideration in the first place.
He said, “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.
Juxtaposing the incident with the growing corruption by public office holders, Obi said, “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,” Obi said.
He further described the Nigerian system as one that rewards impunity but punishes integrity.
“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.
