The family of Sunday Morakinyo, one of the men convicted in the well-known “death-for-fowl” case in Osun State, has pleaded for help from the government and kind-hearted individuals.
They say Morakinyo came home with a mental illness after spending years in prison.
According to the family, Morakinyo was healthy and stable before his arrest in November 2010. He was accused of stealing fowls and eggs in Oyan, Osun State, along with another man, Segun Olowookere.
The police charged both men with conspiracy, robbery, and stealing. On December 17, 2014, the Osun State High Court sentenced them to death.
Last week, Governor Ademola Adeleke pardoned the two men after public outcry over their case. However, when Morakinyo returned home, his family noticed he was mentally unstable.
In an interview, Olowookere said Morakinyo’s mental health problems started after they were tortured by the police at the Okuku Police Division.
Morakinyo’s uncle, Ojo Olaide, denied claims that he had mental health issues before his arrest. He explained that Morakinyo lived peacefully with his grandmother before being accused of stealing.
“Nothing was wrong with him before his arrest. He was hale and hearty and mentally stable. He was arrested at the market in Oyan and taken to the police station for allegedly stealing fowl and eggs,” Olaide said.
He added that the real culprits were minors sent to a welfare home, but the police wrote false confessions to implicate Morakinyo and Olowookere.
Olaide revealed that the family first noticed Morakinyo’s mental illness during visits to the Ilesa Correctional Centre.
“I was told Sunday was tortured severely, and that led to his mental illness. I visited him regularly at the Ilesa Correctional Centre, bringing him clothes, but by my next visit, he would have torn them. That was how I came to know about his condition. Sunday was in a very stable condition before his arrest. Unfortunately, he returned home with a mental disorder. He doesn’t recognise people again,” he said.
Olaide expressed gratitude to Governor Adeleke for pardoning the two men but appealed for help to treat Morakinyo’s condition.
“We are appealing to the government to assist us in treating Sunday’s condition and facilitating his rehabilitation. We plan to take him to the hospital by Monday,” Olaide said.
