The Osun State Government has dismissed as false and misleading an online report alleging that Governor Ademola Adeleke granted state pardon to a suspected murderer.

The report, published by an online platform, had claimed that one Kehinde Ganiyu, alleged to have killed a friend for ritual purposes, was among 36 inmates freed by the governor to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary.

Reacting today, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, described the publication as “fake news, jaundiced and mischievous,” stressing that it was an attempt to blackmail the governor and mislead the public.

Alimi explained that the inmates were released in line with a recommendation from the Osun State Command of the Nigeria Correctional Service. According to him, the letter referenced OSCHQ.1C/,VOL.XIV/393, dated September 25, 2025, listed 36 convicted inmates from Ilesa and Ile-Ife Custodial Centres who were eligible for clemency.

The commissioner noted that the list, signed by an Assistant Superintendent of Corrections, C.N. Inyang, on behalf of the Controller of Corrections, did not include any inmate facing murder charges.

He clarified: “Kehinde Ganiyu, who was among the pardoned inmates, was convicted of stealing, not murder, as speculated. How could Governor Adeleke, in good conscience, have pardoned a condemned murderer when such was never part of the official recommendations?”

Alimi stressed that the governor acted responsibly, in line with his constitutional duty as Chief Security Officer of the state, and in the spirit of showing mercy during a national celebration.

He urged members of the public to disregard the report, which he described as a “hatchet job designed to smear the image of the governor.”

While appealing for calm, the commissioner cautioned Insight Links, the platform that published the report, to cross-check facts before publication to avoid litigation.

“If in doubt, we invite them to visit Ilesa and Ile-Ife Custodial Centres for proper verification,” he concluded.